The UConn Huskies managed to hold on for a narrow 72-64 March Madness win over the Syracuse Orange to advance to the Sweet 16 on Monday night in Hartford.
The Sweet 16 appearance is the Huskies’ 30th straight and is the longest Sweet 16 streak by any team in NCAA Tournament history.
They’ll now face Duke on Saturday.
This year had been the Orange’s first tip to the NCAA Tournament since 2021 and it was their first under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack.
The Orange erased a 10-point deficit to pull within two in the final two minutes of the game, but couldn’t complete the comeback, turning the ball over moments later after Paige Bueckers gave the Huskies some breathing room.
KK Arnold hit a massive jumper with 29 seconds left to put the Huskies ahead by six and Aaliyah Edwards hit a pair of free throws with two seconds left to secure the win.
Bueckers finished with a game-high 32 points – 20 of which came in the first half – while shooting 14-of-25 from the field and pulling down 10 rebounds.
Monday marked the fourth time this season that she’s had a 30-point performance and she’s managed to put up at least 20 points in 11 of UConn’s last 12 games.
Guard Ashlynn Shade had 19 points for the Huskies while Edwards put up 11 in the win.
Syracuse’s Dyaisha Fair had 20 points on 6-of-22 shooting and 4-of-12 from 3-point range.
Sophie Burrows and Georgia Woolley each had 18 points for the Orange in the loss.
The Huskies have won 27 straight games against the Orange, according to Syracuse.com.
Syracuse had hit four 3-pointers in the first quarter and led by four early on in the game, but the Huskies managed to pull ahead going into the second quarter and Bueckers found a rhythm putting up 12 second-quarter points.
