INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – The Latest on the championship game of the NCAA Tournament between Syracuse and Connecticut (all times ET):
8 p.m.
Syracuse was the first team out on the court for the pre-game shootaround, looking loose. Briana Butler and Brittney Sykes literally danced with each other onto the court, lip-synching to the piped-in music in the arena. UConn was more businesslike. Freshman Katie Lou Samuelson, who broke her foot in the Huskies’ semifinal win over Oregon State, stood under the basket in a walking boot, rebounding for her teammates.
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7:45 p.m.
Sophomore Gabby Williams replaces injured Katie Lou Samuelson in UConn’s starting lineup. Samuelson broke her left foot in the Huskies semifinal win over Oregon State. The other starters are Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck, Kia Nurse and Moriah Jefferson.
The Syracuse starters are Alexis Peterson, Isabella Slim, Brianna Butler, Brittney Sykes and Briana Day.
The officials for the championship game will be former NBA referee Dee Dantner, Lisa Jones and Beverly Roberts. Bob Scofield will handle standby duties.
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7:30 p.m.
The University of Connecticut will face an old foe in its bid for a fourth consecutive national championship in women’s basketball.
Former Big East opponent Syracuse stood in the way of the Huskies in Tuesday night’s game in Indianapolis.
No women’s basketball team has ever won four straight titles. Only the UCLA men’s basketball team had done it, winning seven straight championships under John Wooden from 1967-73. UConn coach Geno Auriemma entered Tuesday’s game tied with Wooden with 10 national titles.
The Huskies (37-0) have won 74 straight games. Syracuse (30-7) has lost its last 23 meetings with UConn, a skid that dates to 1996.