#1 UConn Faces Off Against Orange in Monday NCAA Tournament

Top-ranked UConn (35-0) meets No. 9 Syracuse in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Monday. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on ESPN.

Syracuse arrives after a 72-63 first-round victory over Iowa State. Freshman center Uche Izoje led the way with 23 points.

Sophomore guard Olivia Schmitt scored a career-high 15 points. She sank five consecutive three-pointers in the second quarter.

Matchup context and recent form

The Orange are 24-8 this season. They were picked to finish 13th in the ACC preseason poll.

Syracuse has reached the second round in eight of its last nine NCAA Tournament appearances. The team hopes to ride momentum into Monday’s game.

Historical series and coach ties

Syracuse holds a 12-41 all-time record against UConn. Their last win over the Huskies came on Jan. 2, 1996.

That 1996 Syracuse staff included current head coach Felisha Legette-Jack as an assistant. Geno Auriemma recruited a young Legette-Jack in the mid-1980s, when he was on the Virginia staff.

Legette-Jack stayed at Syracuse and became an All-American. Auriemma later established UConn as a national powerhouse.

Tournament meetings

This will be the second NCAA Tournament meeting between the programs in three years. It is the fourth second-round meeting in the last five tournaments.

Three of those recent second-round games were played in Storrs. Syracuse’s deepest tournament run against UConn remains the 2016 National Championship game.

In 2016, a 4-seed Syracuse squad fell 82-51 in Indianapolis. A win on Monday would send Syracuse to the Sweet Sixteen for only the second time in program history.

Coaching and program trajectory

Legette-Jack is in her fourth season at Syracuse. She has doubled last season’s win total and overseen a major ACC turnaround.

The Orange now aim to upset an undefeated UConn squad. The matchup will test Syracuse’s progress under Legette-Jack.

Viewing, tickets and coverage

Tickets are available at uconnhuskies.com/tickets. Fans can also watch live on ESPN at 6 p.m. Monday during the NCAA Tournament.

UConn faces the Orange in a high-profile second-round game that will draw national attention. For ongoing Syracuse updates, follow @CuseWBB on social media.

Filmogaz.com will provide further coverage and analysis throughout the tournament.