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Syracuse’s offense decided to switch things up Sunday. The Orange, who had cruised to a 5-0 start — their best since 2017 — played less and less basketball as the game waned on. Instead, chaos emerged, the kind that looked more like a backyard game among rivals than a Power Five matchup.

The ball slipped through players’ hands. Misfired passes bounced off their intended targets. Possessions stalled before they could turn into shots. Guards dribbled and got stuck in corners. Dominique Darius was seen trying to rile Syracuse up, but her efforts couldn’t help it regain control.

The Orange were playing Keep Away with themselves — and losing. They moved fast, the style head coach Felisha Legette-Jack had emphasized entering SU’s first slate against Power Five opponents this season, but they couldn’t hold on to the ball.

“(It was) almost like I was getting punked out there myself,” Legette-Jack said postgame. “Not to say that we could’ve been any different, but I wish we made different mistakes.”

Syracuse (5-1, Atlantic Coast) suffered its first loss of the season Sunday, falling 81-55 to No. 6 Michigan (5-1, Big Ten) largely because of sloppy offensive execution. The Orange turned the ball over 23 times while making just 17 field goals. Last season, there were only two games in which SU had more turnovers than field goals.

While Syracuse showed early glimpses of keeping pace with the Wolverines, Sunday should serve as a wake-up call: The first step to competing with the nation’s best is taking better care of the basketball.

“(I’m) disappointed in our effort,” Legette-Jack said. “Not necessarily that we could change the fabric of the score, but we certainly know we’re a much better team than we displayed this morning.”

Legette-Jack knew Syracuse couldn’t take nonconference teams like UAlbany, Canisius and Wagner for granted after it went 2-3 in its early-season stretch in 2024. So, it surged to five dominant wins this campaign, including its largest under Legette-Jack.

She also knew this weekend was what really mattered. For what it’s worth, NCAA Tournament at-large bids, which SU could be on pace to earn, are dispersed through multiple factors: a team’s strength of schedule, significant wins and competitive losses, among others.

As a result, Syracuse had to make adjustments. Over the past week of practices, Legette-Jack emphasized maintaining the team’s identity. She wanted them to push the tempo but reminded them that responsibility doesn’t lie with the opponent; it remains within their own execution.

Up until Sunday, SU’s execution, specifically offensively, had been pristine. The Orange hadn’t shot under .400, aside from their comeback win Friday against Utah. They hadn’t committed 20-plus turnovers since their season opener against Stony Brook. They’d recorded more than 15 assists in four of their first five games. That’s why Legette-Jack looked more toward defense when preparing for Michigan.

After Sunday, though, it’s clear there’s plenty of work to be done on offense, too.

“We just really wanted to load and make (Syracuse) have to pass the ball a lot,” Michigan guard Brooke Daniels, who ended with a team-high three steals, said. “That was one of our defensive plans and I felt like we stuck to it.”

Syracuse’s offensive struggles were evident from the very first possession. Uche Izoje won the opening tip, and SU passed the ball around, eventually reaching Sophie Burrows at the right wing. Her pass across the perimeter to Laila Phelia went astray, resulting in turnover No. 1.

Just over three minutes later, that number doubled. Izoje was caught sleeping in the paint as the ball moved around the perimeter. She was called for a three-second violation, Syracuse’s first of the season. Then, Journey Thompson’s crosscourt pass was intercepted by Wolverines forward Kendall Dudley.

Five minutes in, already three giveaways.

“I think it’s just a toughness. It’s a grit. It’s a fight,” Michigan head coach Kim Barnes Arico said of the Wolverines’ defensive efforts. “It’s a willingness to sell out, to do those little things and to make a commitment doing it.”

The Orange had three more first-quarter turnovers, courtesy of an Izoje travel, a Shy Hawkins lost ball and an Angelica Velez bad pass. Michigan scored 20 points in that stretch, and five of them came off SU mistakes.

The trend only worsened as the game went on. Syracuse committed five second-quarter turnovers, bringing its game total to 11 — its most in a half this season. Michigan converted that into six more points, bringing its lead to 38-21 at the break.

Trailing at halftime for the second time this season, SU needed to find a way to battle back. It showed glimpses with two 3s and 18 third-quarter points, nearly matching its first-half scoring output. But as long as Syracuse kept turning the ball over, Michigan would stay in control.

“I thought we respected the name too much and never really understood that they were human and just played the game for what the game was for,” Legette-Jack said.

The Orange pushed the pace in the second half, but it only led to more mistakes. Izoje was pressed down low, which Barnes Arico said Michigan intended to do. It resulted in a game-high seven turnovers from the freshman center. By the final whistle, SU had committed 23 turnovers, its most in a game since Feb. 23 against Duke.

There wasn’t a specific giveaway that stuck out. They were all equally costly. It led to 31 of Michigan’s 81 points. The Wolverines kept capitalizing, while Syracuse kept coughing up the ball. SU’s pace had become a liability.

If Sunday proved anything, it’s that the Orange can’t rely solely on tempo or athleticism when facing top-tier opponents. They didn’t value each possession, and if that continues, the gap between Syracuse and ranked foes like Michigan will remain as wide as it looked Sunday.

Published on November 23, 2025 at 4:58 pm
Contact: jordankimball28@gmail.com | @JordanKimball_