Syracuse grabs 24 offensive rebounds in win against Utah
Syracuse's 24 offensive rebounds versus Utah Friday helped it total 12 second-chance points, many of which were scored by Uche Izoje. Courtesy of SU Athletics
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Despite a disappointing 12-18 finish last season, offensive rebounding was a major strength for Syracuse. Its 14.5 offensive rebounds per game ranked third in the Atlantic Coast Conference, only behind ranked Duke and a Boston College squad it fell to twice.
Through the first four games of this campaign, the Orange have thrived in that department again. Their 17.3 offensive rebounds per game entering Friday ranked third in the ACC, while they’ve tallied more than their opponent in every contest.
In its 78-29 thrashing of Wagner Sunday, SU recorded a season-high 24 offensive rebounds, leading to 30 points in the paint. Eleven players grabbed at least one offensive board while Jasmyn Cooper, Sophie Burrows and Oyindamola Akinbolawa led the charge with three each.
If the Orange want to compete with the upper-echelon of college basketball and return to March Madness for the first time since 2024, that trend needs to continue.
In their first contest against a Power Five opponent this season Friday against Utah, it did. Syracuse (5-0, Atlantic Coast) defeated the Utes (3-2, Big 12) 61-49 Friday in the Invesco QQQ Women’s Showcase in Uncasville, Connecticut, behind an offensive rebounding clinic. SU snagged 24 offensive rebounds to Utah’s six, with Journey Thompson grabbing eight and Uche Izoje snatching four.
“We decided that today we’re just going to continue to be a shield for our sister,” Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said postgame. “We had to make a statement that we’re not going to let each other down.”
From the get-go, SU dominated on the offensive glass. Izoje quickly notched three offensive boards in the first quarter, while Syracuse finished the frame with 10 to Utah’s one.
Though the Orange’s efforts on the glass were admirable, they struggled to find second-chance points and points in the paint. They missed 15-of-19 shots in the quarter, despite opportunities on two-thirds of their missed shots. However, SU mustered just two points in the paint and three second-chance points.
In the second quarter, it was more of the same: dominance on the glass, but an inability to convert on opportunities under the basket.
“The reason why there were 24 offensive rebounds was because of a lot of misses on our side,” Legette-Jack said. “But you got to keep going. And it’s the second effort. It’s the third effort. It’s about your character.”
The game was knotted at 12 after the first quarter, and the Utes began to pull away in the second. They went on an 11-4 run for the first seven minutes of the frame and seemed well on their way to a blowout win.
The Orange ended the first half with 13 offensive boards but were down 25-21 in large part due to their shooting deficiencies after rebounds. The Utes outscored SU 14-2 in the area in the first 20 minutes, a major factor in their slim halftime lead.
Not converting on second-chance efforts was an unusual sight for the Orange. Against the Seahawks on Sunday, they recorded 27 second-chance points, which led to their 49-point win. Even against Canisius on Nov. 11, SU had 17 offensive boards and 19 second-chance points.
After the break Friday, Syracuse began taking advantage of its opportunities off rebounds.
Following a missed 3 from Dominique Darius to begin the third quarter, Thompson snatched yet another offensive rebound. Without hesitation, she laid it in to cut SU’s deficit to two.
From there, SU gained serious momentum en route to outscoring the Utes 21-14 in the third frame. Syracuse’s 21 points in the quarter alone matched its total from the first half, mostly due to strong attention to detail after missed shots.
SU didn’t have many other offensive rebounds in the period outside of Thompson’s early board, but it didn’t matter: Thompson’s layup off a rebound proved instrumental in leading Syracuse’s second-half offensive breakthrough.
With the Orange leading 42-39 entering a pivotal fourth quarter, continuing to grab offensive rebounds and take smart shots after boards would be paramount to maintaining their small cushion.
With six minutes left in the fourth, Izoje missed a layup that would’ve extended Syracuse’s lead to seven. But after Thompson was there for another offensive rebound, she dished it to Darius for a 3.
She drilled it. Just like that, SU had its largest lead of the game and was in the driver’s seat, up 51-42 with less than six minutes to go. The shot was timed perfectly and was a result of high intensity and strong awareness after the rebound.
After Laila Phelia missed a triple in the final minute of play, Thompson snatched another rebound with force. It was a microcosm of the game for Syracuse — one in which it notched a tied-for-season-high 24 offensive boards and proved it’s taken a step up from a year ago.
“This is a team that’s growing into something really special,” Legette-Jack said.
