INDIANAPOLIS — Syracuse rode balanced scoring to an 80-59 win over Washington on Sunday night, earning an opportunity to play top-ranked Connecticut on Tuesday in the women’s national championship game.
While Washington’s Talia Walton made her first eight 3-point attempts and finished with 29 points, Syracuse stifled the Huskies’ leading scoring, Kelsey Plum, for most of the game while dominating the glass and forcing turnovers.
Guard Alexis Peterson led Syracuse (30-7) with 18 points, guard Brittney Sykes followed with 17 points, Brianna Butler scored 12, and Cornelia Fondren had 10. Briana Day contributed 15 rebounds for Syracuse, which won the Sioux Falls, S.D., region as a No. 4 seed.
Thanks to a solid fourth quarter, Plum finished with 17 points but made only five of 18 shots, including one of six from 3-point range. Aside from Walton and Plum, the other five Washington players who participated scored a total of 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting.
The Huskies (26-11) emerged from the Lexington, Kentucky, region as a No. 7 seed.
Syracuse outrebounded Washington 46-28 and committed only 10 turnovers while the Huskies were guilty of 18. The Orange made 30 of 71 field-goal attempts (43.2 percent), while Washington hit 20 of 52 (38.5 percent).
Despite six 3-pointers and 19 first-half points from Walton, Syracuse led 43-31 at halftime. The Orange raced to a quick 10-3 lead and enjoyed a 16-4 advantage in points in the paint through two quarters.
Syracuse also took advantage of nine Washington turnovers to enjoy a 12-7 edge in points scored as the result of miscues.
Taylor Ford came off the bench for eight first-half Syracuse points, and Briana Day had four points and 10 rebounds. Day finished with a game-high 15 boards.
The Orange shot 46.2 percent from the field in the first half (18 of 39) while Washington shot 38.5 percent (10 of 26). Walton was 6-for-10. Her teammates were a collective 4-for-16.
Syracuse also dominated the glass in the first half, 24-14.
NOTES: Syracuse had 16 wins in its last 17 games, losing only to Notre Dame in the ACC tournament. … Of the Orange five starters, four are juniors, including leading scorer Alexis Peterson (16.1 points per game). … Syracuse defeated Tennessee 89-67 to advance to the program’s first Final Four. … Like Syracuse, Washington was participating in its first Final Four. … Washington came in 8-1 in its past nine games, losing only to fellow Final Four participant Oregon State in the Pac-12 tournament. … Huskies G Kelsey Plum came in averaging 26.2 points.