Syracuse women’s basketball blows out Yale

Syracuse women’s basketball bounced back from a 27-point loss Tuesday to Creighton in a big way, beating Yale 78-50 Sunday at the JMA Wireless Dome.

The Orange started out cold, making just one of their first 12 shots and having just three points with one minute left in the first quarter before going on a 10-0 run that bridged the first and second quarters. After Yale freshman guard Ciniya Moore scored to give the Bulldogs a 18-16 lead with five minutes left before halftime, the Orange closed the half on a 17-2 run to take a 31-20 lead at the break.

Syracuse switched to a press defense in the second quarter. Yale struggled, committing seven turnovers and shooting 4-17 (23%) in the period. The Orange started to get easier shots in transition around the rim, pulling away and never looking back.

“I think the press really motivated us,” graduate center Izabel Varejão said. “It turned the momentum, and everything really changed after that.”

The Orange continued to use their height advantage to dominate in the second half. The Orange shot 15-17 (88.2%) from the free throw line and scored 26 points in the paint after halftime. For the game, Syracuse outrebounded 45-38.

“Getting to the line says toughness, getting rebounds says toughness,” head coach Felisha Leggate-Jack said. “That’s what we’re trying to be.”

Senior guard Georgia Woolley led Syracuse with 16 points, while Varejão had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman wing Shy Hawkins scored 11 for the Orange.

Syracuse (4-4) travels to College Station, Texas to play Texas A&M in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 7:15 p.m. ET.