Story
by Lindsey Horsting
Pictures
by Lena Pringle
SYRACUSE,
N.Y.
– The Syracuse Orange women got off to a slow start against the Stony Brook Seawolves Sunday at the Carrier Dome. They had only scored five points in the
first six and a half minutes of play, while the Seawolves capitalized on being ready for the frantic full court pressure that the Orange brought.
Bu the No. 20/25 Orange women slowly chipped their way back into the game and then made it a runaway late. Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman gave credit to his team for taking responsibility of the game and getting the job done with a 64-49 victory.
Bu the No. 20/25 Orange women slowly chipped their way back into the game and then made it a runaway late. Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman gave credit to his team for taking responsibility of the game and getting the job done with a 64-49 victory.
“Fourth quarter they came out and they played tough,”
Hillsman said. “I wish I could say I
made a great adjustment, but I didn’t, they made the adjustment.”
First
Half
The Orange (5-2) started the game with a full court
press, but the Seawolves (4-4) broke it repeatedly for easy baskets, running up the
score to 13-5 with 3:21 left in the first quarter.
“They did a great job of spreading the floor and
attacking our pressure,” Hillsman said.
Hillsman took the press off for a few minutes. The Orange came out of a timeout with the press back on, which this time proved to be effective. It rattled the Seawolves
on offense and Syracuse junior guard Alexis Peterson stole the ball for a layup
to bring the Orange to 14-7. Syracuse
had been scoreless for nearly two and a half minutes before Peterson’s
bucket. At the end of the first quarter
Stony Brook was still in control with a 16-9 lead.
Momentum
Shift
Redshirt junior guard Brittney Sykes sparked the
second quarter hitting a jumper at 8:38.
The next possession Syracuse was intense on defense and the Seawolves
succumbed to the full court pressure and got a ten second backcourt violation
giving the Orange possession. Syracuse
made it count as junior center Briana Day scored off an assist from senior
guard Cornelia Fondren to inch the Orange closer at 16-13.
The Seawolves found daylight in the Syracuse zone and freshman forward Ogechi Anyagaligbo scored a bucket on the block keeping the Orange at bay. But Peterson hit a three, Orange senior guard Brianna Butler made two foul shots and Day hit a layup to give the Orange the first lead of the game 20-18.
The Seawolves found daylight in the Syracuse zone and freshman forward Ogechi Anyagaligbo scored a bucket on the block keeping the Orange at bay. But Peterson hit a three, Orange senior guard Brianna Butler made two foul shots and Day hit a layup to give the Orange the first lead of the game 20-18.
“Once we start getting into our half court traps, we
got some steals, got some layups, got the ball in the basket,” Hillsman said.
The rest of the second quarter was close all the
way. The Orange had possession with ten
seconds remaining in the second quarter.
Syracuse ran an isolation play for Sykes who missed the layup and Stony
Brook held the lead at half time 25-23.
Second
Half
Sykes scored a layup to give the Orange the lead 29-27
early in the third quarter and Stony Brook trailed the rest of the game. Syracuse outscored the Seawolves 20-14 in
the third quarter to lead 45-37 going into the fourth quarter. Sykes didn’t have any easy baskets against
the Seawolves, having to earn every point. She
said she was frustrated but didn’t let it get to her head.
“If I’m not scoring I’m making sure I crash the boards,
and be a defensive threat, help out in the zone and the press,” Sykes said.
Syracuse went on a 10-0 run in the fourth with one
basket by Fondren, two from Butler, and two from Briana Day to take a commanding 55-39
lead. Half way through the fourth
quarter Syracuse redshirt senior guard Maggie Morrison had a tremendous
rebound and fired the ball down the floor to Sykes for an and-one to put
the Syracuse up 57-41. The bench and crowd
erupted, Morrison and Sykes chest-bumped, and Hillsman looked pleased.
Player
Highlights
Peterson led all scorers with 18 points for the
Orange. Briana Day had a season high 15 points
and seven rebounds, and Sykes finished the game with 10. Anyagaligbo was one rebound shy of a
double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds for the Seawolves.
Up
Next
Syracuse hosts Coppin State Wednesday December 9 at 7
p.m. in the Carrier Dome.
Video:
Video:
Coach Hillsman Post Game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUOhaDe86Ak
No comments:
Post a Comment