Game day is here -- the Syracuse University women's basketball team will take on UConn for the NCAA National Championship title Tuesday night. And as Brian Dwyer reports from Indianapolis, the Orange women have been taking advantage of everything the city has to offer.
INDIANAPOLIS -- The national championship is here -- it's game day in Indianapolis. The Syracuse Orange are looking to pull off a stunning upset of the undefeated UConn Huskies. But we know the Orange are confident it can be done – and so are the people that came out here to support them.
It didn't take long. Immediately after Sunday's win over Washington, fans walked out of Bankers Life Fieldhouse thinking Syracuse can do what only one team has in three years -- beat UConn.
The Huskies are a massive favorite, in fact as the Final Four started, just to win $100 in Vegas --you had to bet $8,500.
The Huskies have won 74 straight games and haven't lost in the NCAA tournament in three years. They are also a perfect 10-0 in national title games.
UConn will be without freshman star Katie Lou Samuelson, who broke her foot Sunday night in the win over Oregon State, but UConn is very deep.
So how does the Orange do the unthinkable? Outside shooting, Syracuse is averaging nearly 10 three-pointers a game. And defensively the Orange dominated the boards and turnover margin against Washington. And that press defense was smothering.
Syracuse also has some swagger. No one in that locker room cares about anything in the past -- just the 40 minutes that lie ahead.
They'll also get some major support in the stands. In fact, Time Warner Cable News met one woman who played at UConn and won a national title there in 2003. But she now coaches and helped shape some of the players on the Cuse roster, including her cousin Taylor Ford. So despite her UConn ties, she'll be wearing Orange Tuesday night.
One other stat -- in Syracuse's last 23 games against UConn. They've lost them all. So for SU to do this, it will have to be a perfect night.