Friday, January 15, 2016

Syracuse Dominates Pittsburgh Despite Poor Shooting Night

By Brian Armstrong
Photo by Tyriq Butler

Syracuse, N.Y. - On a night when Alexis Peterson, Syracuse’s leading scorer could only play one minute, Briana Day stepped up with a double-double to lead Syracuse to a dominating victory over Pittsburgh at the Carrier Dome.        
              
Peterson started the game but was quickly substituted out due to being sick.

“She tired and she couldn’t go,” Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman said. “Just under the weather, nothing major, just that time of year.”

Pittsburgh Starts off Strong

The teams exchanged buckets to start the game before Pittsburgh went on a 9-0 run, beating  Syracuse's press to jump out to  an 11-2 lead. Aysia Bugg and Fred Potvin each knocked down a jumper from beyond the arc during that run.

“We had some early opportunities," Pittsburgh’s head coach Suzie McConnell said. "We attacked it."
 

Poor Shooting

The Orange started the game shooting just over 6-percent (1-16) from the floor and 0-9 from deep.   

Syracuse finished just under 19-percent from distance going 6-32. The team did not make its first three until 11 seconds left in the opening quarter, when Abby Grant connected. That three however, gave the Orange the lead and it never trailed from that point on.

Syracuse went on to finish the game with 24 buckets on 72 attempts. Brianna Butler and Maggie Morrison struggled with the deep ball.
 
“When you have Maggie and Butler go 3-18 that’s gonna do it," Hillsman said.

The Panthers did not fare any better as they shot just 31.5 percent from the floor, seeing the ball go in just 17 times on 54 attempts from the floor.  

“As the game wore on their press was just too much,” McConnell said.

The three-ball was the one bright spot for Pittsburgh’s offense making 5 threes on 16 attempts, just half of Syracuse three-point attempts. 

Briana Day Steps Up

With the outside shot not working, the Orange needed to step up inside play.  Day proved she was more than ready to step in.  She led all scorers by going over 50 percent in field goal percentage (6-11) and added three more from the foul line giving her 15 points for the night. 

Day was also the game’s leading rebounder finishing with 10 boards, six of which were defensive.  This marks the third time this season she has recorded a double-double.

“She went to the boards," said Cornelia Fondren, who stepped in for Peterson at point guard. "She started scoring, making moves inside.”

Brenna Wise Impact

Pittsburgh’s Wise missed her own double-double by one board.  She led the team in rebounding with nine and tied Pittsburgh’s Kalista Walters as top scorer with 13 points.

“She’s just a warrior… she’s improved as this season has gone along,” McConnell said. “She’s had more success once we've gotten into ACC play against this caliber of competition.”

Steals

Syracuse’s defense was critical in the win.  The Orange won the turnover battle stealing the ball 20 times as compared to having the ball stolen just four times. This enabled the Orange to take 18 more shots than Pittsburgh. The final turnover numbers were heavily in favor of the Orange women as they held a 26-11 advantage.  

“We had 20 steals to their four,” Day said. “That’s the game.”

Looking Ahead

Syracuse plays Wake Forest Sunday at Winston-Salem on Sunday .

Pittsburgh plays Florida State at home on Sunday as well.


Post Game:


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