Angelica Velez’s 9 assists power Syracuse’s offense to win vs. Howard
Angelica Velez’s season-high nine assists helped Syracuse return to the win column with a 78-62 victory over Howard Sunday. Zoe Xixis | Staff Photographer
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It’s no secret last season was a struggle for Syracuse.
In Year 3 under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, the Orange slumped to a 12-18 mark — their worst finish since 2022 — a year after making March Madness and finishing as the No. 20 team in the final AP Poll.
Angelica Velez was part of the reason Syracuse struggled, shooting just 31.5% from the field and 18.8% from deep while scoring 2.6 points per game after transferring in from LSU. Heading into this season, the junior guard looked to provide a spark off the bench that was missing in her first year with the Orange.
Velez helped Syracuse (6-1, Atlantic Coast) continue its promising start in its 78-62 win over Howard (6-3, Mid-Eastern Atlantic) at the JMA Wireless Dome Sunday. In 19 minutes off the bench, she dished out a season-high nine assists — eight of which came in the first half — to power the Orange’s offense.
“I think today we were just able to push the ball. We like to play with pace, and I was just finding my bigs, finding my shooters,” Velez said. “They were just hitting the shots, so the thinking moving forward is just continue to push the pace, make the right play.”
The junior helped Syracuse return to the win column a week after the Orange were pummeled 81-55 at the hands of then-No. 6 Michigan. Syracuse leaned on a disciplined defense and used pace in transition on the fast break to take down Howard, which shot just 38% from the field and committed 15 turnovers.
Velez entered the contest averaging just 2.2 assists per game. She played a season-low six minutes in SU’s loss against Michigan, where she was held without a point and recorded one assist.
On Sunday, Velez didn’t check in until under four minutes remained in the first quarter, but she immediately made an impact. She found Keira Scott for an easy basket on her first offensive possession of the game.
Less than a minute later, Velez again found Scott for another open shot before scoring on the next possession. Less than two minutes after checking in, she already had two points and two assists. In the final two minutes of the quarter, Velez fed Laila Phelia for a 3-pointer and found Journey Thompson for her fourth assist before the second quarter.
Velez checked back in midway through the second quarter, quickly setting up Phelia beyond the arc for another 3 and her fifth assist of the night. She then fed freshman Uche Izoje for three baskets inside, two of them part of a personal 5-0 run for Izoje, set up both times by Velez driving down low.
With Syracuse comfortably leading 46-33 midway through the third quarter, Velez again found Izoje inside for a layup and her ninth assist of the game. Her performance proved to be the spark the Orange envisioned she’d provide when she transferred from LSU. She helped SU halt multiple Howard offensive runs when the Bison threatened to catch up.
“She definitely steadied the ship,” Legette-Jack said. “I thought (Angelica) did a great job. She was my voice, and she just kind of pushed the pace for us.”
The junior guard’s nine assists were the most by a Syracuse player this season and one shy of her career-high 10 dimes from Jan. 5 versus Florida State. The performance also raised her season average to 3.1 per game, which would’ve been one of the top marks on last year’s team.
Dominique Camp led the Orange with four assists per game last season, followed by Georgia Woolley’s 3.6. Outside of Camp and Woolley, though, no Syracuse player averaged more than two.
Last year, Syracuse also averaged just 15.8 assists per game. It proved to be a major thorn in the Orange’s side as they sputtered down the stretch, making it a point of emphasis heading into this season.
The Orange recorded a season-high 23 total assists in their win over Howard. Syracuse’s win over Howard is also a sign it can move the ball around and mix it up on offense after totaling just 10 assists in its loss to Michigan.
The Orange still has a long way to go to return to March Madness. But if Velez and Syracuse’s other point guards run the offense at a level similar to Sunday, it would do wonders for SU’s offense moving forward.
“We have a go-to team,” Velez said. “Everybody’s ready to step up, whether it’s in the paint or whether it’s shooters outside.”
