Michael sets Syracuse all-time scoring record in win over Pitt
With 27 points in Syracuse’s 87-80 overtime win against Pittsburgh Tuesday, senior forward Nicole Michael became the all-time leading scorer in SU women’s basketball history.
‘It’s a great accomplishment, so I’m just really happy,’ Michael said in a phone interview after the game. ‘I came here to score, and I’ve done it. It means a lot to me.’
Michael now sits atop the chart she had been steadily climbing for the past four years, breaking the 6-year-old record previously held by Julie McBride, who scored 1,605 points during her four-year career at Syracuse.
The senior now holds the distinction of being the most prolific scorer in program history, with 1,614 career points and counting. The four-year starter is also currently third on the career rebounding chart, with 904.
‘It’s a remarkable feat,’ Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman said. ‘You talk about passing somebody like Julie McBride, who can really put the ball in the basket, that’s a big accomplishment.’
Perhaps most importantly for Michael, her record-breaking basket came with just 30 seconds left in regulation, tying the score at 72 and forcing overtime. She then added eight points in the overtime period to guide the Orange to the victory.
‘It would have been great to do it at the Dome,’ Michael said. ‘But getting (the record) in an overtime win on the road, it’s a great feeling.’
With roughly half of a season and possibly a postseason left to play, Michael is likely to further increase her hold on the prestigious record. She isn’t counting out the possibility that the record could eventually be broken, but she’s hoping she has ownership of it for at least a little while.
‘Hopefully as long as it can (stand), for a long time,’ Michael said. ‘But hey, there are great players on the team right now, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them breaks my record.’
Despite that possibility, the night belonged to Michael. And now, so does the record. Regardless of how long she stays atop the program’s scoring chart, there’s no doubt that she’s in elite company.
‘Records are made to be broken,’ Hillsman said. ‘But no one can ever take away that on this night she broke the all-time scoring record. And no matter how long it stands, it’s a great accomplishment for her.’
