Syracuse women’s basketball rolls past SMU 78-69 in ACC opener
Syracuse continued its strong stretch to open the year Sunday against SMU, staying in control the whole way through for a nine-point win. Courtesy of SU Athletics
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Eleven months ago, a broken Syracuse basketball team continued to collapse. It had opened Atlantic Coast Conference play with three double-digit losses and was set to face SMU for the first time in program history. Then, things went from bad to worse.
With one second remaining in overtime and the Mustangs down 71-70, Nya Robertson stepped past Georgia Woolley, lofting a floater off the back rim that eventually sank in. Woolley fell to the ground, her hands pounding the hardwood. Izabel Varejão bent over in disbelief. A near signature win became a haunting defeat.
Now, 332 days later, Syracuse and SMU met again, this time in contrasting positions. SU was coming off a statement win over Auburn Wednesday, while the Mustangs abused the high school ranks and transfer portal to build an entirely new roster.
But even faced with unseen competition, Syracuse (8-1, 1-0 ACC) dominated from start to finish, rolling past SMU (4-6, 0-1 ACC) 78-69 in the two teams’ ACC opener. Any hope for the Mustangs vanished quickly as Syracuse surged to a 25-9 first-quarter lead behind five 3-pointers and Uche Izoje’s five blocks. The Orange never led by less than eight for the rest of the game, claiming yet another statement win.
Despite the stunning overtime victory over the Tigers on Wednesday, the Orange severely floundered from beyond the arc. Entering the contest, they’d hit 30 of their 108 attempts. That issue dipped further as Syracuse shot a program-worst 0-for-16 from 3-point range. But on Sunday, SU continued to pull the trigger, finishing 11-of-28.
Sophie Burrows — who led the Orange with 65 3s last season — got the scoring started, sinking a triple from the right wing a minute and a half in. Dominique Darius tried to match her but hit just one of her four first-quarter attempts from deep.
Meanwhile, on defense and the glass, the Mustangs couldn’t keep up. Part of the reason they experienced a five-game losing streak earlier this season came from slow starts. Early on Sunday, that was highlighted in all aspects.
SMU didn’t hit its first shot until it trailed 7-0 halfway through the first quarter. SU had taken a 13-4 rebounding advantage, nine of which were offensive. And then, the Orange fully took over.
Darius hit a corner 3 to put Syracuse ahead 10-2. A steal by Izoje two minutes later led Burrows to hit her second 3. Laila Phelia joined in, hitting two triples within 33 seconds of each other to extend SU’s lead to 25-6.
Syracuse started 1-of-9 from the floor but rode a 9-for-13 finish into the second quarter.
However, a slow start for the Orange in the second allowed the Mustangs to slightly claw back. With Tyi Skinner, SMU’s leading scorer (15.1 points per game), held scoreless through the first 24 minutes — the first time she went without a basket in a half this season — Ayanna Thompson stepped up.
A Journey Thompson missed jumper was corralled by Skinner, who pushed it ahead to Ayanna for the bucket. On the Mustangs’ next possession, Ayanna skipped between Olivia Schmitt and Keira Scott, cutting SMU’s deficit to 27-13.
Adding a 3 to her total, Ayanna’s seven points led the Mustangs halfway through the second. Finally, the Orange got going again.
Journey forced a steal from Miriam Ibezim, converting a layup on the other end. Burrows then ignited her own 6-0 run, splashing her third 3 of the game before earning a trip to the line for three more points.
As SU opened the second half with a 39-24 lead, its focus shifted from matching SMU’s offense to keeping it in check. It did that courtesy of Burrows’ deadeye accuracy from deep. Burrows had uncharacteristically started the season with just four 3s in 35 attempts but knocked down her fourth 3 of Sunday’s game just two minutes into the third quarter.
Darius followed suit with two treys, and Phelia added another. When SMU called a timeout with 5:22 to play in the third, SU had already hit a season-high nine 3-pointers. Madeline Potts then gave Syracuse a 59-44 lead entering the fourth quarter with her second 3 of the season.
The Mustangs kept things interesting down the stretch, cutting their deficit to eight in the final 10 minutes — their closest since the first quarter — but the Orange never lost their grip on the game and finished in dominant fashion.
SU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack made it crystal clear after the Orange’s win versus the Tigers that they weren’t done. She said her squad takes each game one at a time, simply stating they wanted more. Starting ACC play on the right foot is something Syracuse couldn’t do last year, but with its win over SMU, that narrative already appears to be changing.
