Orange Women Nail Last Seconds Free Throw to Defeat Boston College

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – A wild, back and forth game between the Syracuse Orange women’s basketball team (15-6, 5-3 ACC) and the Boston College Eagles (13-7, 1-6 ACC) came down to one final shot at the Carrier Dome, Wednesday night .

Fortunately for the Orange, Cornelia Fondren was up to the challenge, nailing the game-winning free throw with 1.9 seconds left to give Syracuse a 62-61 victory that provided a nice bounce-back win after back-to-back losses.

The importance of the win was not lost on head coach Quentin Hillsman.

“This game was really our season and we needed to salvage our season with this game,” Hillsman said. “It’s a lot different being 5-3 than 4-4 in the conference.”

With the game tied at 61-61 in the final seconds, Syracuse had time to run one final inbound play. Fondren was the target and she did her job in getting to the free throw line and putting the game away.

“I just told her to get to the rim left-handed, put your head down and get to the basket,” Hillsman said.

Another Slow Start

Much like in several of their recent performances, the Orange got off to a very slow start against the Eagles, falling behind 13-2 in the first quarter. The Eagles came out firing, making eight of their first 11 attempts of the field while the Orange began the game just three for 15.

Boston College coach Erik Johnson wasn’t fooled by another poor Syracuse start, however.

“If you flip a coin a hundred times there’s always a chance it’s going to come up heads 10 times,” Johnson said. “We know Syracuse is a great team and that they were going to make a run.”

Butler Sets the Tone

After cutting the lead down to five by the end of the first quarter, Syracuse’s Brianna Butler caught fire in the second quarter, finishing the first half with 20 points, a total that nearly matched her season-high for a single game.

“She kept us in it,” Hillsman said. “I’m going crazy when she’s not shooting and then going, ‘Good layup!’”

Butler cooled off a bit in the second half, finishing with 22 points on the night. She was matched shot for shot by Boston College’s Kelly Hughes, who led the Eagles with 21 points as well as 13 rebounds.

Hughes had high praise for the Orange after the game.

“They’re unlike any other team we’ve played, with their athleticism and their pressure,” Hughes said. “They forced us to make plays all over the court.”

Fantastic Finish

The Orange tooks a 40-31 lead into halftime, but the Eagles fought back and made the second half a hard-fought affair, with each side trying to put away the other with neither giving an inch.

Syracuse’s Briana Day provided a solid presence in the paint, finishing with a season-high 15 rebounds, 12 of which came in the second half. Day also came up with several big defensive stops down the stretch.

A block and ensuing rebound by Day in the final minute help set up the Orange’s final possession, which eventually led to Fondren’s game-winning free throw.

Game Notes

Redshirt junior Brittney Sykes recorded her 1,000^th career point near the end of the first half. Once the game was over, Sykes was able to reflect on her accomplishment.

“I just kept chipping away at it,” Sykes said. “I had family members texting me, ‘Get your 1,000^th tonight!’ so no pressure. Obviously I couldn’t celebrate right then because we had a game to play, so I celebrated after.”

Syracuse’s pressure defense was once again a difference-maker, as the Orange forced the Eagles into 25 turnovers. Syracuse was able to capitalize by scoring 23 points off of those turnovers.

Coming Attractions

The Orange women head south for their next contest, as they will take on the Miami Hurricanes (17-3, 5-2 ACC) in Coral Gables, Fla. on Monday, Feb. 1^st at 7 p.m.