Connecticut on the verge of its fourth title in a row

INDIANAPOLIS — Breanna Stewart came to Connecticut with the lofty goal of winning four national championships and the Huskies are one victory away from history.

They will play former Big East foe Syracuse on Tuesday night with a chance to become the f irst women’s team to win four consecutive Division I titles.

Only UCLA, with seven in a row from 1967 to ’ 73, has done it on the men’s side and a Connecticut victory would give Coach Geno Auriemma 11 national championships — one more than John Wooden for most in the his- tory of college basketball.

While Stewart didn’t guarantee four titles when she was a freshman, she did promise a victory against Syracuse.

“I’m not going to go and say that we’re going to lose,” Stewart said after the Huskies defeated Oregon State in the semifinals. “To end my college career, to end it with the other seniors, there is no other way that I want that to happen.”

Syracuse Coach Quentin Hillsman wasn’t planning on using the comments as extra motivation for his team.

“I don’t think she knew who she was playing yet,” he said, laughing. “So what is she supposed to say? I told our fans and our crowd that we’re going to win too.”

Stewart and her fellow Connecticut seniors have won 74 consecutive games and have never lost in the NCAA tournament, going 23- 0.

Syracuse has lost its last 23 games against Connecticut, a skid that dates to 1996.

The former Big East foes met at least once a season before the Orange moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference after the 2013 season. The Orange have lost their last 23 meetings against Connecticut, dating to 1996.

Connecticut is 10 for 10 in title games.

Syracuse has made 48 three- pointers so far in the NCAA tournament, averaging nearly 10 a game.