Observations from Syracuse’s loss vs. No. 6 Michigan: missed 3s, man to zone
Syracuse finished the first quarter on a 0-for-8 run and trailed 20-6 against Michigan, setting the tone for the rest of the game. Courtesy of SU Athletics
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Every climb hits a ridge, a point when the pace changes. It’s either time to keep chugging along or stop in your tracks and start your descent. Once you decide, there’s no going back.
Syracuse’s season had followed a similar rise. On Sunday, it finally hit the ridge.
SU spent the last few weeks moving with ease. A 5-0 start — its first since 2017. Breakthrough performances from newcomers, most recently Dominique Darius’ double-double Friday. It’s been nothing more than a cruise along the base of the mountain.
But it’s yet to make that national statement. That’s what awaits at the ridge line: No. 6 Michigan. The Wolverines were coming off a three-point loss to No. 1 UConn, and they were playing at a level the Orange hadn’t seen. Sunday’s matchup was Syracuse’s chance to prove it can hold steady through treacherous terrain.
Despite showing glimpses of nearing the mountaintop early, the Orange collapsed as the Wolverines cruised to an 81-55 win. Syracuse never led, was outrebounded 46-32 and shot just 6-of-22 from 3, resulting in its fewest single-game point total of the season.
Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (5-1, Atlantic Coast) 81-55 loss to No. 6 Michigan (5-1, Big Ten) Sunday in the Invesco QQQ Women’s Showcase:
Sloppy start
The start of a game often sets the tone for the rest, and that couldn’t have been more true Sunday against the Wolverines. SU struggled to take care of the ball, gave Michigan extra possessions and, in turn, fell behind early.
Just 15 seconds into play, after Uche Izoje won the opening tip, Sophie Burrows tried to find Laila Phelia at the perimeter but misfired, and the ball trickled out of bounds. Izoje then missed a layup on the next possession, letting Syla Swords take the rebound, grab an offensive board after her own miss and sink another attempt for Michigan’s first bucket.
Burrows missed a 3 following Swords’ make, and while UM’s Olivia Olson was off the mark on a mid-range jumper, the Wolverines grabbed three straight offensive rebounds. They ended the first with six offensive rebounds compared to SU’s two.
Phelia finally got Syracuse going with an up-and-under layup, but its defense couldn’t keep pace with Michigan’s fast-moving offense. Although Burrows cut the Wolverines’ lead to three halfway through the first, Michigan broke it open across the final five minutes.
The Wolverines took a 20-6 lead into the second quarter, while Syracuse finished the frame on an 0-for-8 run. The Orange totaled six first-quarter turnovers, shot 2-for-14 from the field and lost the rebounding battle 16-6, digging themselves a hole they couldn’t climb out of.
Off the mark from 3
In recent games, Syracuse has continued to let it fly from 3-point range. It was part of Burrows’ identity last season, but she’s yet to find her rhythm this season, hitting just three 3s entering Sunday.
That trend continued against Michigan — not just for Burrows, but for SU’s entire roster. Slightly over a minute into the first quarter, Burrows tried the Orange’s first 3, missing the mark, and Olson easily corralled the rebound. The Wolverines then missed four straight shots but continued to get their own boards.
Finally, when Syracuse got it back, Darius tried a 3, also missing iron. Despite the misses, the Orange went right back to the perimeter. With 4:30 to play in the first, Burrows unleashed another attempt for another miss. Syracuse shot 0-for-5 from distance in the first quarter.
Not much changed in the second. Darius finally knocked down SU’s first 3 over two minutes into the second, concluding a 7-0 run. Syracuse still tried five more, though, with Darius missing three, Burrows missing one and Jasmyn Cooper missing one. The Orange entered halftime 1-for-11 from deep.
Trailing by 20-plus for the remainder of the game, Syracuse was forced to continue shooting the 3 if it wanted any chance to come back. While Phelia hit SU’s first triple of the second half, Burrows missed its next two attempts.
The Orange exploded for five second-half 3-pointers, but it came too late. Though Sunday offered a good chance for SU to find its rhythm from deep, the Orange will have to keep waiting.
Man to zone leads to little changes
After a horrid first quarter, Syracuse opened the second quarter in zone defense, which it’d rarely shown through its first five games. Madeline Potts, one of the Orange’s top 3-point threats, got early minutes, and defensively, SU kept up with Michigan a bit more because of the new strategy.
On the Wolverines’ first offensive possession of the second quarter, Syracuse couldn’t rotate to the corners quickly enough, allowing McKenzie Mathurin to hit a 3. The next time Michigan had the ball, though, SU clamped down. Macy Brown couldn’t convert an open 3, and the Wolverines then tried two more triples, coming up empty on both.
Finally, the defense translated into offense. Phelia earned a steal from Brooke Daniels, taking it the other way for two points. Darius forced a turnover from Brown and nailed SU’s first 3-pointer. Michigan called a timeout following the Orange’s brief 7-0 run.
But out of the timeout, the Wolverines rediscovered their offensive touch. They finished the second on a 15-8 run, entering halftime up 38-21 behind four 3s.
For most of the second half, Syracuse transitioned back to a man defense but continued to fall further behind. The man defense faltered, yet the zone produced Syracuse’s most promising stretches and could be a blueprint going forward.
Michigan owns the offensive glass
One of Syracuse’s few strengths in its 12-18 2024 season was offensive rebounding. Its 14.5 offensive boards per game ranked third in the ACC. This season, that’s continued. Entering Sunday, the Orange’s 18.6 offensive boards per contest ranked ninth nationally.
Crashing the boards has been something SU can rely on when all else fails. Second-chance points have also been a primary reason the Orange were 5-0. But against Michigan, which posed a threat with 16.0 offensive rebounds per game, Syracuse didn’t come particularly close.
SU had posted 24 offensive rebounds in each of its last two games — its first stretch of 24-plus since 2016 — but recorded 16 to Michigan’s 20 Sunday.
Syla Swords, who led Michigan with six rebounds per game, tallied four offensive rebounds, while four other Wolverines had at least two. Meanwhile, Izoje had six, but the Orange couldn’t find much more production from the rest of their roster.
Michigan ended with 46 total rebounds and 19 second-chance points, earning an advantage that ultimately swung the game.
