Syracuse bullies Wagner 78-29, earns largest win of Legette-Jack era
Syracuse cruised to its fourth straight win Sunday against Wagner behind a strong defensive effort that produced its least points allowed and largest margin of victory under Felisha Legette-Jack. Griffin Uribe Brown | Social Media Editor
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Ask Felisha Legette-Jack, and she’ll tell you every team she’s coached is special in its own way. She doesn’t like to compare the four squads she’s had since joining Syracuse in 2022 or the 20 others she helmed at Hofstra, Indiana and Buffalo.
Still, her track record shows a clear pattern. From 2005-09, Legette-Jack led four straight teams to the WNIT. She then experienced five years without playoff basketball but rejoined the national postseason in 2014 — her third season with the Bulls.
Since then, the playoffs have become customary when Legette-Jack’s in charge. That’s why it was an immediate outlier when Syracuse missed them in 2024-25.
Eight months since last season’s season-ending loss, though, SU’s done a complete 180. It sailed to three dominant victories over Stony Brook, UAlbany and Canisius to open the campaign — but Sunday showed the depth of the strides Legette-Jack’s squad has taken.
Syracuse (4-0, Atlantic Coast) bullied Wagner (1-3, Northeast) 78-29 Sunday, putting on a defensive clinic to allow its fewest points since Dec. 14, 2014. SU never trailed after the Seahawks scored first. The Orange got the job done on the other end, too, using 14 scorers to dissect Wagner’s rotations and stretch the lead beyond reach.
It resulted in Syracuse’s largest win under its fourth-year head coach.
“This team is different. What they bring is such joy, such commitment to the fight,” Legette-Jack said postgame. “They’re really locked in to build our program to newfound heights.”
Grabbing Laila Phelia — a former All-Big Ten First Team selection at Michigan — from the transfer portal was a progressive step for SU. Taking on Dominique Darius — who sparingly played at UCLA and USC — was a move Legette-Jack knew would pay off. Retaining Sophie Burrows, the Orange’s second-leading scorer from 2024-25, elevated the program further.
As a united front, they’ve shown their growth. Darius dropped a career-high 21 points against the Golden Griffins. Phelia added 22. Burrows has found ways to contribute without being the team’s offensive cornerstone, recording five-plus rebounds in each game.
But that’s how it’s supposed to be. For a Power Five school, nearly every nonconference matchup is a tune-up. Even though the games don’t carry as much significance down the stretch, they’ve helped Syracuse build a winning identity.
“You can’t take games like this for granted. Seeing so many teams falling short because they overlook somebody,” Legette-Jack said. “One thing this team won’t ever do is overlook anybody.”
Last season, one of SU’s few positives was its offensive rebounding. It grabbed nearly 15 per game, ranking 25th in the nation, per HerHoopStats. But with Kyra Wood’s (6.9) and Izabel Varejão’s (5.0) — two of its three leading rebounders — departures, the Orange’s depth took a hit.
Legette-Jack went all out to fill their void. She compiled a roster of 11 players who stood 6 feet or taller. Yet before the season, there wasn’t an answer for who’d step up. Uche Izoje exploded for double-digit points in her first three games. Now there’s another option. Enter Jasmyn Cooper — who made her first career start Sunday.
After blocking Wagner guard Priscila Varela’s shot on its second possession, Izoje pushed the pace to find Burrows for an open 3. Although she missed, Cooper claimed the rebound and fed Izoje in the paint for the second-chance score.
Just over a minute later, Cooper corralled another offensive board on a Darius missed 3, rising into contact to draw a foul. She nailed the two free throws, giving the Orange an early 6-2 lead.
“It felt awesome,” Cooper said of starting. “Our energy was really good from the jump, and it just trickled down the roster.”
Syracuse freshman Jasmyn Cooper puts up a jump shot in SU’s win over Wagner. Cooper started her first-career game versus the Seahawks and provided a spark. Griffin Uribe Brown | Social Media Editor
Each waning minute, the game progressively slipped away from Wagner. Syracuse went on a 14-0 run, showcasing all parts of its game.
Against Canisius, the Orange abandoned perimeter shooting and attacked inside. Phelia even joked she wasn’t allowed to shoot a 3 until perfecting her mid-range shot. The Orange entered with just six triples, the least in the ACC, while shooting 19.4% from distance, bottom 10 in the country.
But as Wagner thought it’d figured out Syracuse’s post game, the Orange attacked from outside.
For a three-minute stretch as the first quarter closed, both teams went scoreless. After Journey Thompson rekindled SU’s spark with a jumper, though, Burrows and Phelia each nailed 3s — setting the tone for Syracuse’s eight total triples.
“We focus more on getting (the ball) to the bigs, and then they’ll kick it out to us,” Olivia Schmitt, who finished with two 3s, said. “But if you’re willing to get in there and take (open shots), the energy is just gonna combine.”
At the end of the first quarter, Syracuse led 22-4. That margin only grew.
Phelia hit her second shot of the day as the second quarter began. Oyindamola Akinbolawa joined the scoring barrage, tipping in her missed shot while being fouled for a three-point play. Burrows even hauled in and converted off a Cooper missed 3 to extend SU’s lead to 30-11.
At halftime, Syracuse led 43-17. Its defense forced 12 turnovers, 1-for-8 3-point shooting and a 21% field goal clip. Meanwhile, it had 11 scorers.
“Sometimes, (every player) doesn’t have the opportunity to fly around the floor,” Legette-Jack said. “And today was a day we could do that. It just warms my heart.”
The game was all but over by halftime. The second half was all about keeping the foot on the gas. Syracuse did that and more.
Phelia opened the third quarter with a four-point play in front of her teammates. All 10 bench players surrounded her as she fell to the ground. Madeline Potts and Schmitt nabbed 3s. Legette-Jack couldn’t help but grin as she leaned against the scorers’ table.
Syracuse entered the fourth quarter up 65-21. There, they outscored the Seahawks 13-8, with final buckets from Akinbolawa, Schmitt, Keira Scott and Camdyn Nelson.
Sunday was yet another step in the right direction for a team trying to build something sustainable and prove it belongs on the bigger stage. For the fourth time in four games, Syracuse earned a double-digit victory.
But it’s also faced teams that are now a combined 5-12. As the tune-ups end, time will tell if Syracuse is really as good as it’s shown so far — and whether it can maintain this level without slipping into complacency.
“You’d have to remove my soul. If I’m here, there’s no complacency ever,” Legette-Jack said. “There’s no time for us to feel like we’ve done something until we finish. And (we’re not done) in November.”
