Observations from Syracuse’s 82-69 loss to NC State: Outrebounded, paint problems
Syracuse women’s basketball was outrebounded 43-36, and outscored 38-22 in the paint in its 82-69 loss to NC State Sunday. Courtesy of SU Athletics | Pyae May
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One week before March begins, Syracuse women’s basketball is still in desperate need of a resume-booster. The Orange appear to be a near-lock for the NCAA Tournament at this point, but a Quad 1 win on the road would solidify it.
A matchup with NC State — the No. 24 team in the NET Rankings — was a fantastic opportunity to get one. After all, this is the time of year the Orange need to be putting the finishing touches on a polished squad that’s ready to compete in the postseason.
Instead, Syracuse left the Lenovo Center with more questions than answers. While the Orange made it interesting late, they fell into a 19-point hole early and suffered an 82-69 loss.
Here are some observations from SU’s (21-6, 11-5 Atlantic Coast) defeat at NC State (18-9, 11-5 ACC), its fifth Quad 1 loss of the season:
Swinging early
Several of Syracuse’s recent contests have been determined by the first quarter. In SU’s last Quad 1 game against Louisville, the Orange got off to a slow start, trailing 28-6 at the end of the first quarter, and never recovered. It couldn’t afford a similar slow start against NC State.
While Syracuse hung tough early, the Orange got sucked into a chaotic track meet of a first quarter. The two squads ran end to end at a high tempo, each tallying over 16 possessions in the first quarter.
That led to seven lead changes in the first six minutes of the game. Both teams exchanged punches, and NC State embarked on two runs of seven or more points.
NC State’s first big run, a seven-point burst that put SU down 7-2, was promptly answered with two 3-pointers from Dominique Darius and Laila Phelia. Four minutes in, and SU was back on top with a 10-9 advantage.
From there, though, Syracuse just ran out of gas. NC State finished the first frame on a 13-0 run and held the Orange without a bucket for four minutes. SU shot just 35.3% from the field in the first quarter, while the Wolfpack shot 62.5%. It put the Wolfpack up 12 points, and they never lost that lead.
Paint problems
To win games, Syracuse needs to control the paint. It’s that simple. The Orange run the offense through Uche Izoje — who totaled 26 points and 14 boards Sunday — and rely on their guards to attack the interior often. SU entered Sunday’s game averaging 50 2-point attempts per game, the highest mark in the conference.
But NC State absolutely nullified that part of Syracuse’s game. A big part of that effort was the Wolfpack’s Khamil Pierre, a 6-foot-2 forward who delivered a monster 25-point and 15-board double-double.
Syracuse had just six points in the paint at the half, four of which came off uncontested fast break layups. The Orange finished with just 22 points in the paint, while shooting 38.2% from the field overall.
Syracuse was forced to rely on outside scoring for most of the first half, but knocked down just three 3-pointers. The rest of SU’s 14 first-half points came from the mid-range.
The Orange improved in the second half, tallying 16 points in the paint as part of a monster third quarter. But Syracuse was ultimately outscored 38-22 in the paint, and watched another Quad 1 opportunity come and go.
Trouble on the glass
Syracuse’s dominance on the boards, especially offensively, has gone hand-in-hand with its paint dominance this year. But the Orange’s struggles down low extended to the glass.
SU hauled in 14 offensive rebounds, including just two in the first half. It was a lot better on the boards in the second half, hauling in 12 offensive rebounds, but it ultimately led to just 14 second-chance points.
NC State, meanwhile, entered the matchup averaging an ACC-best 27.3 defensive boards per game, but just 8.7 offensive rebounds per game. It controlled the glass effectively all evening, though, winning the rebounding battle 43-36. The Wolfpack also surpassed their season average with aplomb, hauling in 14 offensive boards themselves.
While the Orange made it interesting in the second half, they failed to control the boards, something they absolutely need to do to contend in Quad 1 games.
Third-quarter surge, fourth-quarter collapse
Trailing by 17 at halftime, whatever Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said in the locker room at the break worked. SU shot a red-hot 60% from the field in the third quarter — including starting 7-for-9 — and trimmed the lead to just six at one point.
It started with a quick 7-0 run after a Phelia and-1 and a Sophie Burrows triple — the first points of the afternoon from the reigning ACC Player of the Week. SU then pulled within eight after an Izoje jumper and another bullseye from Burrows.
Following a score from Zoe Brooks and a Pierre free throw, two more paint buckets from Izoje got the deficit down to seven. Then, SU pulled within six at the 4:38 mark after some Phelia free throws and another Izoje jumper. It was the closest margin between the teams since the first quarter and proved to be the closest Syracuse ever got.
SU burned out in the fourth quarter. The Orange missed their first six shots of the quarter, with both teams scoring 16 points in the frame. Syracuse didn’t have the juice to overcome the deficit late, sealing a tough loss on the road.
It brought back memories of that Louisville defeat — Syracuse battled back to make it interesting at the end, but ultimately, a poor first quarter sealed SU’s fate early.
