Syracuse opened the New Year on the right foot, defeating Florida State 82-72 to bounce back from an ACC loss to Duke and improve to 12-2 on the season.
From the opening tip, Syracuse set their tone with high energy and physicality, jumping out to a 26-14 first-quarter lead, while shooting 64 percent from the field. The Orange never surrendered the lead, controlling the game on the boards, in transition, and through their dominance in the paint. They won the physical battle decisively, grabbing 22 offensive rebounds, turning them into 19 second chance points and finishing with 48 points in the paint.
Freshman Uche Izoje delivered a monster performance, posting 21 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks on 10-of-13 shooting. Sophie Burrows repeatedly found her inside, which was a simple formula of success for the Orange.
“She’s such an amazing athlete. I just throw it up there and she gets it,” Burrows said. “Just throwing it up to the rubber, not many people can jump with her.”
Burrows made her own impact off the bench, playing 34 minutes and posting 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals. Along with Burrows, Dominique Darius helped control the pace for the Orange, finishing second on the team with 19 points while adding five assists and her usual defensive spark to steady Syracuse during a late Florida State push.
“ACC play is tough. Teams are going to go on runs and it’s about how we respond. How we talk to each other and keep uplifting each other kept us in the game and allowed us to finish strong,” Darius said.
Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said the performance reflected exactly who this group is becoming.
“It’s going to take the whole 40-plus minutes against anyone in the conference,” Legette-Jack said. “I really believe this is a fantastic team, I want them to know this is not a fluke. This is really who we are.”
Now 2-1 in ACC play, Syracuse is on a mission to prove they belong firmly in the conference conversation.
Syracuse opened the New Year on the right foot, defeating Florida State 82-72 to bounce back from an ACC loss to Duke and improve to 12-2 on the season.
Now 2-1 in ACC play, Syracuse is on a mission to prove they belong firmly in the conference conversation.