Last-ditch effort for NCAA bid awaits 12-seed Syracuse women’s basketball at Big East tournament
Since donning a Syracuse jersey, Erica Morrow has never experienced a situation quite like the one she will endure at the 2009 Big East tournament.
During her freshman year at SU last season, Morrow helped catapult the Syracuse women’s basketball program into the upper echelon of the Big East, claiming a sixth seed in the conference tournament after leading her team to a 10-6 Big East record. As a result of the high seeding, the Orange garnered a target on its back and ultimately fell in the first round to South Florida.
Now, a year later, the tables have turned on Syracuse. Instead of being the hunted, the Orange has reverted back to the hunters, aspiring to upset its higher-ranked opponents and make an unexpected run through the tournament as a No. 12 seed.
Despite completing a lackluster 5-11 record in the Big East, Morrow hasn’t really adjusted to the feeling of being a postseason underdog. Syracuse would likely need to advance deep into the Big East tournament to potentially qualify for the NCAA Tournament. It’s taken some time for that tough reality to settle in for the sophomore.
‘It’s a little different when things aren’t expected of you,’ Morrow said. ‘It’s a lot of pressure off. Coming off of that last season, there was a lot of pressure to do just as good as we did in the regular season. It’s different not to have that. But we like it. Just to know that people won’t be so surprised if we do good is a compliment to us.’
Before reaching that point, Morrow and the 12th-seeded Orange will have to outlast 13th-seeded St. John’s at noon Friday in the first round of the Big East tournament in the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.
Most of the veteran SU players would love to forget about last year’s tournament, when 11th seeded South Florida stunned Syracuse, 68-67, in an overtime thriller.
That disappointment has molded this squad into a redeem team. In spite of this year’s regression, the SU players still have the chance to accomplish one thing that the celebrated 2007-08 team couldn’t do – win a game in the postseason.
‘That’s definitely important for me, especially since I was there to experience (last year’s) loss,’ Morrow said. ‘It’s important for the program because we haven’t been having the greatest season, or anything. We want to show we can still win games, so it’ll be good for us.’
Sophomore point guard Tasha Harris’ inspiration stems from a different source: her desire to send the team’s two seniors, guard Chandrea Jones and center Lina Lisnere, into the ensuing rounds of the conference tournament for the first time.
‘We want to get Chandrea an opportunity to play in the second round of the Big East tournament,’ Harris said. ‘Lina too. All our graduating seniors. We all have confidence in each other and as long we got confidence in each other we’ll be OK because that’s all we got.’
The Orange can take solace in its previous encounter with the Red Storm in February. In that matchup, SU defeated St. John’s, 79-78, on the road and without junior forward Juanita Ward.
The Red Storm played that game without leading scorer Monica McLean, who was suspended for violating the university’s student-athlete code of conduct. But Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman isn’t too concerned about McLean’s presence. The Red Storm’s bench compensated for its leading scorer’s absence, combining to score 27 points and still almost defeated the Orange.
‘Last time, (McLean) didn’t play but it didn’t matter,’ Hillsman said. ‘Other kids stepped up. I just finished looking at their stats and one kid made five 3’s all year, but she hit three against us.’
The numbers bode well for Syracuse. Since Hillsman took over the team in 2006, the Orange has tallied a 3-0 record against the Red Storm.
At this point, though, the statistics don’t mean a thing to the SU players. The beginning of the postseason gives the team a fresh start. And for Morrow, a formidable showing in the opening round of the tournament will appease her mental psyche going into the demanding stretch of the postseason.
Winning ‘gives you a little momentum,’ Morrow said. ‘Coming off a loss, from the time you lose that game to the next game, things are stressful. Practice is a little stressful. School work is stressful. Everything’s a little stress.’
