Previewing UAlbany’s new squad after last-second 2024 win vs. Syracuse
UAlbany beat Syracuse on a last-second 3-pointer last season and started its year 1-0 after battering Marist Tuesday. Angelina Grevi | Staff Photographer
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Syracuse entered the JMA Wireless Dome on Nov. 20, 2024, with a 2-2 record. The Orange had dropped their first nonconference home game in five years to Saint Joseph’s and were still searching for consistency. Next up was UAlbany. The supposed tune-up before conference play didn’t go as expected.
Tied 70-70 with 10 seconds left, the Great Danes had the ball at halfcourt. Guard Jessica Tomasetti found forward Kaci Donovan near the perimeter. As Donovan raced toward the paint, she kicked it to guard Lilly Phillips in the corner.
As the clock wound down, Phillips buried a 3 over Georgia Woolley to put the Great Danes ahead. Ballgame. The play foreshadowed the rest of SU’s historically bad season, in which it won just 12 games and placed 14th in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Now, the Orange have a chance to erase the past and start anew, as yet another matchup with UAlbany looms. Both teams are 1-0, with the Great Danes thrashing Marist by 28 points and the Orange dominating Stony Brook by 24.
Here’s everything to know before Syracuse (1-0, 0-0 ACC) faces UAlbany (1-0, 0-0 America East) Friday:
All-time series
Syracuse leads 6-1.
Last time they played
As mentioned above, Phillips hit the dagger over Woolley to stun SU 73-70 in 2024. But the Orange were actually ahead early. After one quarter, they held a 10-point lead. The Great Danes battled back to outscore Syracuse by nine in the second, trailing 31-30 at halftime.
It was a back-and-forth affair until Phillips’ game-winner. Woolley paced Syracuse with a game-high 23 points while Izabel Varejão had 15. Meanwhile, three UAlbany players were in double figures, all of whom have since left the team.
The Great Danes report
Similar to Syracuse, which added eight new players over the offseason, UAlbany also retooled its roster with seven newcomers and Bella Stuart returning from injury. But the scenario was far from the same. While the Orange faltered last season, the Great Danes thrived. They placed first in the AEC with a 26-6 regular-season record, holding the No. 1 seed entering the conference tournament. However, UAlbany fell to Vermont 62-55 in the AEC Championship, failing to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.
The Great Danes’ five leading scorers from last season are gone. Delanie Hill, who averaged just 3.4 points per game in 2024-25, is their top returning scorer.
UAlbany also didn’t make much of a dent in the transfer portal. Its biggest grabs were Júlia Palomo Vicente, a 5-foot-7 guard who averaged 7.8 points per game at Evansville last season, and Lara Langermann, who put up 2.9 points per contest at New Mexico.
In its first win of the season over Marist on Tuesday, Hill exploded for 20 points, her first career double-digit scoring game. Meanwhile, freshman Amaya Stewart added 17 off the bench, and Martina Borrellas scored 12.
How Syracuse beats UAlbany
As long as the Orange continue to attack the glass, they should have no problem defeating the Great Danes. UAlbany has just five players above 6 feet, a clear discrepancy from SU’s 11. Against Marist, it had two players with five-plus rebounds, while Syracuse had six at that mark against Stony Brook. As a team, the Orange also grabbed 52 boards. They’ll need to enter Friday’s contest with the same aggression to start the season 2-0.
Aside from rebounding, SU must find its touch from beyond the arc. With players like Sophie Burrows and Laila Phelia, the Orange shouldn’t have many problems on 3s, but against Stony Brook, they shot just 1-for-12. The Great Danes displayed a contrasting performance, knocking down nine triples on 20 attempts against Marist.
Syracuse has the potential to easily defeat UAlbany. There are more questions than answers surrounding the Great Danes. UAlbany’s four leading scorers against the Orange in 2024-25 have departed, and as long as the Orange stick to their identity, they’ll be well on their way to win No. 2.
Stat to know: 34.6%
Poor perimeter defense last season, in part, fueled Syracuse’s struggles. The Orange allowed opponents to shoot 34.6% from beyond the arc last season, the second-worst mark in the ACC. Meanwhile, UAlbany shot 33.1%, the second-best mark in the AEC.
Just one game into this campaign, that trend seems to continue. Syracuse allowed Stony Brook to knock down six 3s for a 40% clip. Even late in the third quarter, the Seawolves made three straight triples to cut their deficit to five.
The Great Danes displayed strength beyond the arc with their nine 3s versus the Red Foxes. If Syracuse struggles on the perimeter like it did last year and in its season opener, and UAlbany keeps hitting from long range, the Orange could be in serious trouble.
Player to watch: Delanie Hill, guard, No. 33
UAlbany’s best chance to steal another win in the Dome will come from the hands of Hill. While she scored just five points in 22 minutes last year against the Orange, she showed a spark Tuesday against Marist that could give SU problems.
In a team-high 30 minutes, the sophomore guard shot 7-of-10 from the field and 4-of-6 from deep for 20 points. Hill is also the Great Danes’ biggest 3-point shooting threat. She’s not afraid to facilitate UAlbany’s offense, and if she plays how she did on Tuesday, Friday could be a repeat of last year’s result.
