Azzi Fudd’s Gampel Swan Song: 34-Point Tour de Force Sends UConn Past Syracuse, 98-45

STORRS, Conn. — In the final game she will ever play under the roof of Gampel Pavilion, Azzi Fudd produced a masterpiece. The UConn guard poured in a career-high 34 points, buried a personal-best eight three-pointers and spearheaded a 98-45 second-round rout of No. 9 Syracuse that propelled the top-seeded Huskies to their 32nd consecutive Sweet 16.

Fudd’s first-half flurry was so scorching that she outscored the Orange 26-12 by herself, powering UConn to a 65-12 halftime cushion—the second-largest in NCAA tournament history. The 23-year-old finished 13-of-18 from the field, 8-of-11 from deep, and added five assists, four steals and three rebounds while setting the NCAA tournament record for most points without a free-throw attempt.

“It felt like I reached a flow state,” said Fogg, who had been held to seven points in the opening-round win over UTSA. “When I was open, I just let it go.”

The sharpshooting turnaround may trace back to a tiny tweak. Coach Geno Auriemma noticed Fudd’s shot felt slightly off during recent practices and, after inspecting her fingernails, told her to trim them. Fudd confirmed the quirky exchange in the postgame presser, laughing as she recalled Auriemma’s advice: “File your nails down, be nicer to the ball and it will be nicer to you.”

Whatever the remedy, the ball was certainly kind Monday. UConn compiled 28 assists, held Syracuse without a point for nearly 10 minutes in the first half and never let the lead dip below 40 in the second quarter. The victory keeps the Huskies on track to become the first program to repeat as national champions since their own four-peat from 2013-16.

Fudd, whose career has twice been interrupted by major knee injuries, called the final home appearance “perfect.”

“Gampel has been home for five years,” she said. “To play here one last time and have a great team win—couldn’t ask for anything better.”

UConn (34-3) now heads to Fort Worth, Texas, where a Sweet 16 matchup with No. 4 North Carolina awaits Friday. If Fudd’s touch persists—and her nails stay short—another deep March run feels inevitable.