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Syracuse’s last trip to Connecticut ended in heartbreak. On March 25, 2024, the Orange’s best season in five years came to a halt after a 72-64 loss to UConn in the NCAA Tournament second round.

Since then, a lot has changed. Sophie Burrows is the only player from that team still with the Orange, and they’re coming off a measly 12-18 campaign a season ago — a far cry from the dominance of 2023-24.

But through four games this season, SU has established a gritty, defensive identity, propelling it to a 4-0 start. It most recently held Wagner to 29 points in a 78-29 thrashing last Sunday, the fewest points it’s allowed since December 2014.

Back in Connecticut Friday for a neutral site contest against Utah, the first-ever matchup between the two schools, SU looked to start 5-0 for the first time since 2017-18 versus its first Power Five Opponent of the season.

Backed by a dominant third quarter and strong offensive rebounding, Syracuse defeated Utah. The Orange scored just 21 points in the first half but matched that total in the third alone due to improved efficiency and suffocating defense.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (5-0, Atlantic Coast) 61-49 win over Utah (3-2, Big 12) Friday.

Burrows’ shooting struggles continue

Despite SU’s struggles last season, Sophie Burrows and Georgia Woolley often provided an offensive spark. Burrows shot nearly 40% from beyond the arc and averaged 12.2 points per game.

But through the first four games this season, Burrows has been a shell of her former self. She entered Friday’s contest shooting just 33.3% overall and 14.3% from 3 but had an opportunity to rebound against the Utes.

While Burrows brought strong intensity early on and attempted five shots in the first quarter, she was only 2-of-8 at halftime.

The junior also looked passive offensively, hesitating to take open 3-pointers she would’ve likely taken a few years ago. It’s early to determine if the issue will continue throughout the season, but she didn’t look aggressive Friday.

Burrows made her first shot since the first quarter at 9:23 in the fourth, but it was an ugly day on the offensive end for Syracuse’s seasoned veteran. If SU wants to return to March Madness for the first time in two years, it’s going to come in large part due to Burrows. And through five games, she’s been less than impressive offensively. Her 3-of-11 mark from the field Friday was another step in the wrong direction.

Mixed bag efficiency

Efficiency was a glaring issue for Syracuse last season. It shot only 41.8% from the field, the fourth-worst mark in the ACC. Although SU’s been quite efficient to begin this season, that wasn’t the case to start Friday. It shot just 4-of-19 in the first quarter, putting up only 12 points and not taking advantage of second-chance opportunities.

Utah packed inside the 2-point line and forced Syracuse into difficult shots. As a result, SU’s offense looked flustered throughout the first half. That escalated in the second quarter, as it had a five-minute scoring drought in the middle of the frame. The Orange ended the first half shooting a paltry 7-of-34 from the field and 4-of-25 on 2s.

But everything changed after the break. Syracuse began the third quarter 6-for-10, taking a 35-34 lead midway through the frame behind a Darius 3-pointer, which forced Utah into a timeout. Laila Phelia also found her footing in the quarter, and the Orange took a 42-39 lead into the final 10 minutes. After having 21 points throughout the entire first half, SU matched that total in the third quarter alone.

In the fourth, Syracuse’s improved efficiency extended its lead to 13 at one point. Following a third-quarter momentum boost, the Orange took full control in the final frame via seven Darius points.

After going just 7-of-34 in the first half, SU improved that mark to 16-of-37 in the second. It wasn’t always pretty, and SU will need better efficiency going forward, but the improvements after the break catapulted Syracuse to a win.

Block party

Syracuse entered Friday’s contest averaging just 3.75 blocks per game, the sixth-worst mark in the ACC. Granted it hadn’t played top-notch competition, but it was an area to improve on in Connecticut.

In the first half against the Utes, SU’s defensive presence was felt. It had six first-half blocks, with Burrows tallying three and Keira Scott, Journey Thompson and Dominique Darius each swatting away one. While Syracuse trailed at the break, its defensive efforts weren’t the reason why.

SU’s defensive dominance continued into the third quarter, as Uche Izoje and Burrows each had blocks in the frame. Up 40-34, Izoje swatted away an Evans shot, continuing the quarter’s momentum shift.

Throughout the third quarter, Utah had nowhere to go offensively. Syracuse constantly made it miserable in the paint, forcing erratic shots and willfully grabbing rebounds off misses. The Orange held the Utes to 14 points in the quarter and five in the final five minutes of the frame.

SU ended the game with 10 blocks, a key component in its defensive dominance all night.

Dominating the offensive glass

Syracuse entered Friday with 17.3 offensive rebounds per game, the third-best mark in the ACC. It recorded 24 in its victory over Wagner on Sunday and continued that success against the Utes.

SU was dominant on the boards from the get-go. Izoje notched three offensive rebounds in the first quarter, while the Orange had 10 overall to Utah’s one. Syracuse missed 16 shots in the frame and rebounded 10 of them.

The Orange ended the first half with 13 offensive boards but still couldn’t capitalize on their chances in the paint. The Utes outscored SU 14-2 in the area in the first 20 minutes, a major factor in their slim 25-21 halftime lead.

Despite only grabbing two offensive rebounds in the third quarter, it didn’t matter much — Syracuse began taking advantage of its second-chance opportunities. The Orange had 10 points in the paint in the frame, giving it a boost in a momentum-shifting quarter.

With six minutes left in the fourth, Izoje missed a layup that would’ve extended SU’s lead to eight. But after Thompson was right there for the rebound, she kicked it out to Darius for 3, giving Syracuse a game-high nine-point cushion at 51-42.

Thompson led the Orange with seven offensive rebounds, and Syracuse outrebounded Utah 24-6 in that category en route to its fifth straight win.

Published on November 21, 2025 at 7:17 pm
Contact Spencer: sabrod@syr.edu | @spencerbrod20