Syracuse Women's Basketball Tips Off Season with a Win

Story and photos by Jacqueline Mundry

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The National Championship runner-up opened its season at the Carrier Dome with a 95-49 win over the Rhode Island Rams Friday afternoon.

The Orange used its signature pressure defense and bombed away from outside on offense to run away in the second half.

Leading 56-38 after three quarters, the Orange poured in 39 points in the fourth to reach the final score.

"This was a great game by our kids and a great effort," head coach Quentin Hillsman said.


Hits and misses

The Orange started the game on top. Freshman guard Gabby Cooper scored the team's first points of the season with a three pointer.

Despite the fact that the Orange lost its best three-point scorer in Brianna Butler after last season, the team connected on 17 of its 45 three-point shots, which is the school record.

Cooper, shot at 18 of those 45 and only made four. Hillsman said he was pleased with his team's effort, including Cooper's. He said there's a reason that he continued to let her shoot.

"It lets her know how much confidence I have in her," Hillsman said.

Hillsman said he almost took Cooper out of the game but decided not to because he believed the freshman could turn it around.

Cooper said when coming into the Dome for her first game of her career she was nervous but making the first shot of the season helped her calm her nerves.

Turnovers

The three-point record wasn't the only one set in the Carrier Dome on Friday. The women's basketball team forced 43 turnovers.

Rams head coach, Daynia La-Force, said her players are not used to being pressured this hard.

"Tonight was a prime example of being exposed and not being disciplined the way we're supposed to be disciplined," La-Force said.

She said she was happy to learn these lessons early on in the season, especially since the team has just started practicing.

"Facing this type of pressure where you're going to face every press in the book, it's not easy to do with only 27 practices," she said.

Second quarter

Rhode Island had the biggest chance to pull ahead in the second quarter. The Rams cut the score to 25-19 but ultimately could not overcome the pressure put on by the Orange.

The second quarter had a lot of back and fourth and it wasn't the scoring many were expecting to see. The Rams put up a total of six points while the Orange put up eleven.

Up next

The Orange Women will be back in the Carrier Dome on Monday at 7 p.m. when they take on Siena. The Rams will host Marist on Sunday at 2 p.m.