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You can only play the team in front of you.

Syracuse’s matchup against Mercyhurst at the JMA Wireless Dome Friday was the perfect example of that. The Lakers entered the game with a 0-10 record as the 353rd team in the NCAA’s NET rankings, one of the bottom-10 teams in the country.

At the opposite end of the scale, the Orange entered 41st in the NET rankings. Despite the level discrepancy, Syracuse didn’t let its foot off the gas as it blew out the Lakers in a dominant win.

Scoring a season-high 58 points in the first half, Syracuse cruised to a 106-40 win over the Lakers. The Orange overwhelmed Mercyhurst in the paint, scoring 62 points down low while holding the Lakers to 25% shooting from the field.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (11-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) 106-40 win over Mercyhurst (0-11, 0-0 Northeastern) Friday at the JMA Wireless Dome:

Dominant first half

Syracuse’s dominance started early, as the Orange raced out to a 12-3 lead in the first three minutes of the game. After Mercyhurst scored a layup on the other end, freshman Uche Izoje responded with a layup before Sophie Burrows tacked on a 3-pointer to give Syracuse a 17-5 lead. Angelica Velez hit a 32-footer to beat the first quarter buzzer, capping a 32-point first quarter for the Orange.

The second quarter was more of the same as Syracuse held the Lakers to 12 points and only 24 points in the first half. In the final five minutes of the first half, the Orange outscored Mercyhurst 13-3, holding the Lakers without a field goal.

With its hot start, Syracuse set the tone for the rest of the game and the Lakers never led. After its strong first half, the Orange maintained its intensity in the second half, diving for loose balls and making other hustle plays with the game far out of reach.

As the Orange look ahead to ACC play after the break, Syracuse could benefit from similar hot starts against tougher opponents. While its next opponent, Duke, has struggled with a 5-6 record, Syracuse can’t afford a loss against the Blue Devils if it wants to maintain its high spot in the NET rankings.

Paint presence

The Orange entered Friday’s matchup as one of the best rebounding teams in the country, 23rd overall with 43.8 per game. Against Mercyhurst, Syracuse exploited that advantage, outrebounding the Lakers 56-27. Izoje led the Orange’s effort on the glass with 11 boards, with six of them on the offensive end.

Izoje also had no problem scoring the ball inside the restricted area, missing just two shots, scoring a game-high and career-high 23 points. With Izoje leading the way, Syracuse scored almost three times as many points as Mercyhurst did in the paint, leading 62-18 in that category.

In addition to scoring the ball in the paint and winning the rebound battle, the Orange shut down the Lakers on the other end. Izoje recorded three blocks, more than Mercyhurst’s entire team. The Orange had six blocks and forced the Lakers to either settle for jumpers away from the basket or try for heavily contested shots at the rim.

Keira Scott added a double-double off the bench with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Burrows and freshman Shy Hawkins each had five rebounds. What’s more, three other players had at least three rebounds for the Orange.

3-point shooting

It was a small sample size, but the Orange were efficient from beyond the arc, an area they’ve struggled in all season. In Syracuse’s only loss of the season, an 81-55 blowout defeat at the hands of then-No. 6 Michigan, the Orange shot just 6-for-22 from deep. The lack of floor spacing hurt Syracuse’s offense, but SU didn’t have the same problems against the Lakers.

Syracuse connected on 44% of its 16 attempts beyond the arc Friday, highlighted by two late buzzer-beaters to end the first and third quarters. After Velez’s first-quarter buzzer beater, Madeline Potts scored her third 3-pointer of the game from 28 feet to cap a 12-0 scoring run from the Orange to end the third.

Burrows was also strong from long range, going 2-for-4 on her attempts and scoring in double figures for the fifth time all season. It was the fourth time in her last five games that Burrows scored at least 10+ points.

With the Orange shooting just 26.7% from deep coming into the game, it would be a boost for Syracuse’s offense if she continues her improved shooting from deep and more consistent scoring.

Published on December 19, 2025 at 12:38 pm
Contact Henry: hdaley@syr.edu | @henrydaleyy