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Just a week ago, Syracuse unofficially opened its season with an exhibition against Daemen — a sneak peek of the roster overhaul head coach Felisha Legette-Jack engineered this offseason. After finishing 14th in the Atlantic Coast Conference, she didn’t waste time rebuilding.

Eight new transfers and recruits joined the roster, flashing glimpses of their potential versus the Wildcats. Uche Izoje posted a team-high 19 points, while Laila Phelia followed with 17. Meanwhile, SU’s bigs dominated the paint, outrebounding Daemen 60-37, though its backcourt showed little cohesion. But that was just a preview.

Tuesday’s season opener against Stony Brook marked the first real test, a chance for Syracuse to prove its 98-62 win over the Wildcats wasn’t a fluke.

Guided by four players in double figures, the Orange did just that, defeating the Seawolves 74-50. SU limited Stony Brook to a measly 25% first-half field goal percentage, giving it a 37-21 lead at the break. The Orange maintained control from there, opening the season with a decisive 24-point win.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s season-opening win over Stony Brook:

Nelson gets the start

In Syracuse’s exhibition with Daemen, Dominique Darius started at point guard after averaging 13.6 minutes per game with eight total starts across four years at UCLA and USC. But as Darius struggled, shooting 0-for-4 from the field with three fouls against Daemen, the position remained wide open.

Camdyn Nelson, a four-star recruit and the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year, was an intriguing option. While Nelson faltered in the first half against the Wildcats, she emerged with eight second-half points, impressing Legette-Jack enough for the head coach to slot her into Tuesday’s starting lineup.

She instantly made her presence felt. Less than three minutes in, Nelson scored her first official points with the Orange. She initially missed a layup but fought for the rebound, following it up with a second-chance tip-in. Less than a minute later, she got a defensive board, heaving it downcourt to Phelia for a bucket. She then assisted Sophie Burrows later in the quarter before being replaced by Angelica Velez.

In the second quarter, SU’s offense, including Nelson, slightly slowed. She played just over four minutes but reignited her spark in the third.

Starting the quarter on the court, Nelson continued to prove herself, grabbing two rebounds within the first four minutes and assisting Justus Fitzgerald in the paint for her first bucket of the night. With SU leading by 15 entering the fourth, Nelson’s role was limited. Though she recorded just four points, her six rebounds and four assists may have been enough to assert herself as an every-game starter for Syracuse.

1st-quarter clamps

Last season, the Orange’s defense was disastrous, allowing 71.4 points per game, the ACC’s second-worst mark. Burrows said one of the team’s main goals over the offseason was to improve in that area. The exhibition was a step in the right direction. But SU’s full potential was unleashed against Stony Brook, especially in the first quarter.

Right from the Seawolves’ first possession, Syracuse clamped down. It forced a shot clock violation before missing a layup on the other end. As Stony Brook regained possession, SU again forced a turnover, this time a blocked shot by Izoje in the paint.

Then, the shots began to fall. Nelson grabbed the rebound, feeding Izoje for a bucket before Stony Brook’s Janay Brantley missed a field goal. This time, Darius snagged the board, running downhill to kiss a layup off the glass — her first field goal with the Orange.

As the first quarter progressed, the Seawolves’ struggles persisted. Later in the quarter, Darius forced yet another turnover on a bad pass. Stony Brook’s ensuing possessions resulted in a missed jumper and a missed 3, which SU capitalized on with Phelia knocking down a triple.

The Orange forced eight more missed shots in the first quarter, along with another block and two more turnovers. It led to Syracuse setting the tone early, with a 22-8 lead after 10 minutes.

Spreading the rock

Through Legette-Jack’s tenure as SU’s head coach, the Orange have always had a ball-dominant scorer. In two years with SU, Dyaisha Fair averaged 19.9 and 22.2 points per game, pacing the team each year. Then, Georgia Woolley emerged, scoring 16.0 points per game last season. Phelia or Burrows might assume that role this year, but on Tuesday, the ball was more evenly spread.

Darius, who struggled in her unofficial Syracuse debut, added her first points less than two minutes in. Izoje had already scored at that point. Then, Nelson came through, followed by Phelia and Shy Hawkins. SU’s first five buckets each came from a different scorer. By the end of the first quarter, that trend continued, with all nine players checked in on the scoresheet and Phelia leading the team with five points.

In the second quarter, Phelia emerged among the rest, with the Texas transfer scoring five more points. Still, Darius, Izoje, Keira Scott, Hawkins and Jasmyn Cooper added to their totals, leading Syracuse into a 37-21 halftime lead.

Stony Brook had no answer for SU’s ball movement. The Orange recorded rebound after rebound, pushing the floor with Fitzgerald joining the action. As Syracuse’s lead continued to grow, the Seawolves’ defense frantically spread.

Still, Darius found Hawkins at the block with around a minute to go in the third, silencing a 9-0 run from the Seawolves. It shifted the momentum to Syracuse for good.

When the final buzzer sounded, 11 players had scored for the Orange, showcasing their versatile offensive arsenal.

Attacking the glass

It’s no secret Syracuse is supposed to thrive at rebounding. It averaged 38.6 rebounds per game last season, placing it in the middle of the ACC. Legette-Jack targeted bigs this offseason, most notably bringing in Izoje, a 6-foot-3 forward who averaged nearly 10 rebounds in the Women’s Japan Basketball League.

But in SU’s exhibition, Auburn transfer Oyindamola Akinbolawa and Fitzgerald also came through, each tallying eight rebounds. On Tuesday, it was more of the same for the Orange, who outrebounded Stony Brook 52-27.

With 11 of SU’s 15 players standing at least six feet, and six no less than 6-foot-2, the Seawolves were at a considerable disadvantage. Stony Brook had no players taller than 6-foot-2, a fact that doomed it all night.

In the Seawolves’ starting lineup, just two players stood at least 6-foot-1, matching Burrows and Izoje. But with little height on its bench, SU quickly took over. In the first half, Melissa Mwanza led Stony Brook with six rebounds, while SU instead had six players with three-plus.

The Orange took a 22-15 rebounding advantage into the second half, where they continued to attack the glass. Halfway through the third quarter, after Mwanza was helped off the court when she collided with Phelia, Stony Brook’s disparity only heightened.

SU’s rebounding advantage grew, and with it, its lead. If Syracuse continues to thrive on the glass, it could be poised to compete in the ACC going forward.

Published on November 4, 2025 at 9:22 pm
Contact: jordankimball28@gmail.com | @JordanKimball_