Previewing Syracuse women’s basketball’s Sunday matinee clash with Howard
Howard, which is 6-2 so far this season, is coming off a 30-point loss to Purdue when it faces Syracuse Sunday in the Dome. Eli Schwartz | Staff Photographer
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Syracuse’s last game is one it’d rather forget.
After starting 5-0 for the first time since the 2017-18 season, the Orange were handed their first true test last Sunday, a clash with No. 6 Michigan. A win would have been SU’s first top-10 victory under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack. A loss would bring Syracuse’s early-season momentum to a halt. Ultimately, the latter occurred, as SU was bashed 81-55 behind 23 turnovers and got outrebounded for the first time this season.
Next up is a battle with Howard. Though the Bison aren’t a Power Five squad like the Wolverines, they still pose a threat to the Orange. Howard’s started 6-2, but, like Syracuse, is reeling after a 30-point loss to Purdue.
Here’s everything to know about the Bison (6-2, 0-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic) before their Sunday matinee matchup with the Orange (5-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) in the JMA Wireless Dome:
All-time series
Syracuse leads 2-0.
Last time they played
On Dec. 30, 2015, SU earned the ninth win of its 30-win season by annihilating Howard 97-48. The Orange were in complete control, holding the Bison to 23.2% shooting while notching a season-high point total.
Although three teammates scored more points than her, Cornelia Fondren led the way for the Orange. Her absurd triple-double — with 12 points, 10 rebounds and a program-record 10 steals — was Syracuse’s first since the 1983-84 campaign. It also marked the third triple-double in program history.
SU’s lead grew to as much as 54 points toward the end of the fourth quarter, its largest lead of the season. It was the second-biggest win of the Orange’s Cinderella campaign, which ended in heartbreak against No. 1 UConn in Syracuse’s lone national championship appearance.
The Bison report
Similar to SU, nothing could stop Howard in its first four games. It cruised to three double-digit wins, and even in their fifth game against VCU — where they trailed by 15 — the Bison battled back to fall by just three points.
Howard is helmed by head coach Tiesha “Ty” Grace, who has a 164-141 record since taking over in 2015. On the court, the Bison are guided by 6-foot-2 senior forward Zennia Thomas. In her second year with Howard, she paces the team in points (15.3), rebounds (8.5) and blocks (1.1).
The Bison’s success is slightly misleading, though. Besides Thomas, just one other player averages more than 10 points. They’ve also struggled to find consistency, with nine newcomers joining the team this season.
How Syracuse beats Howard
To defeat the Bison, all Syracuse must do is not play down to its competition. Its matchups against Utah and Michigan last week were trial runs for the Orange to test their skills against high-level squads. Legette-Jack even said before the contests that SU was fixating on those teams’ fast-paced play styles.
Well, Howard plays slowly. It ranks 189th in the nation at 92.1 points per 100 possessions, per HerHoopStats, and it’s shooting 37.7% from the field, the 273rd-best mark. As long as SU keeps the pressure on defensively and doesn’t let the Bison dominate inside like Michigan did, it should easily return to the win column.
Howard’s offense isn’t what’s willed it to a hot start, but it has excelled at taking care of the basketball. The Bison’s 12.8 turnovers per game are 27th-best in Division I. Syracuse must force Howard to make mistakes, or Sunday’s matchup could be a shootout.
Stat to know: 23.7%
There’s no denying that one of Syracuse’s primary struggles this season has come from beyond the arc. Facing the Bison’s defense doesn’t do the Orange any favors. Howard’s allowing its opponent to shoot just 23.7% from 3-point range, the 21st-best mark of 363 D-I teams.
SU’s starting to find its groove from the perimeter, draining six-plus 3s in its last three games. But the problems are still present. Sophie Burrows, who knocked down a team-high 65 3s last season, hasn’t rediscovered that touch. With three makes on 25 attempts to start this year, Legette-Jack even threatened to bench her if her struggles persist.
Legette-Jack’s comments may only set Burrows back, and if SU can’t find someone to replace her, it might be in trouble against the Bison.
Player to watch: Zennia Thomas, forward, No. 24
If Syracuse stumbles against Howard, it’ll come at Thomas’s hands. She’s done it all for the Bison, playing nearly 30 minutes per game while almost shooting 50% from the field.
After transferring from Kentucky, Thomas ranked second on the Bison with 12 points last season, behind current Wisconsin guard Destiny Howell. With Howell gone, she’s taken the forefront, already scoring over 20 points twice while finishing in single digits just once. She’s also hauled in six-plus rebounds in every game, recording double figures three times.
If Thomas continues to play how she has, there’s no telling how dangerous she can be. With Syracuse having given up 17-plus points to an opposing player in five of its first six games, Thomas could be next.
