Syracuse women’s basketball opponent preview: What to know about Drexel
Brittney Sykes and Syracuse have outscored opponents 275 to 174 through three games. Courtesy of Syracuse Athletic Communications
For the seventh time in the last eight seasons, Syracuse has started 3-0. The No. 14 Orange enter Monday night’s game having outscored opponents 275 to 174. Its won each game by an average of more than 33 points and none by fewer than 18. Syracuse (3-0) looks to get to 4-0 against Drexel (2-1) Monday at 7 p.m. in the Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the matchup.
All-time series: Syracuse leads, 2-0
Last time they played: Last December, Syracuse routed the Dragons, 83-62, in the Carrier Dome to improve to 8-3. Briana Day’s 26 points, Brittney Sykes 16 and Alexis Peterson’s 11 lead the way for the Orange. For the Dragons, junior guard Jessica Pellechio drilled three 3-pointers in that game. She returns this year as Drexel’s leading scorer through three games.
The Drexel report: Fourteen-year head coach Denise Dillon leads a Drexel team that can get to the rim, draw fouls and make you pay. At the line, their 89.5 percent free-throw percentage ranks second in the country. Where they’re vulnerable is on the boards. In their only loss, Drexel committed 12 fewer turnovers than Vanderbilt but got out-rebounded by 15.
Offensively, the Dragons have two primary scoring threats: Pellechio and Sarah Curran. The senior guard-forward combo averages 36.3 points per game as Drexel’s only players with double-digit scoring averages.
How Syracuse beats Drexel: In what will be a battle of 3-point reliant teams, Drexel could stay in the matchup against SU if it can hoist 3s and knock them down at a good clip. The Dragons shot only 9-for-35 (26 percent) from deep in its loss at Vanderbilt. In their two wins, they shot a combined 20-for-57, a 35 percent mark.
Drexel averages only 13.3 turnovers per game. Against the country’s best defense in terms of forced turnovers, Syracuse, Drexel will have to take care of the ball the way it has over the last three games to upset the Orange.
Stat to know: 36.7 — Average turnovers forced per game by Syracuse, best in the county
Player to watch: Jessica Pellechio, guard, No. 23
The 5-foot-6 senior averaged only nine points per game last year, but put up 30 points on eight 3-pointers in this year’s season opener against Penn State. She followed it up with 10 points and 18 points, respectively. A Virginia Commonwealth transfer, Pellechio finished second on Drexel last season with 60 made 3-pointers.
