What to know about Colgate ahead of Syracuse women’s basketball matchup
Syracuse women's basketball will look to continue its impressive start against Colgate Wednesday. The Raiders opened their season with four wins but have since lost five straight. Leopold Gensler | Staff Photographer
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Syracuse’s last two games have posed challenges, but the Orange still excelled. After five of its first seven games were against mid-major squads, SU faced Auburn in the ACC/SEC Challenge and SMU in its conference opener. Syracuse had beaten its past opponents by an average margin of 17 points and maintained momentum with six and nine-point wins over the Tigers and Mustangs, respectively.
Now, the Orange have a more manageable matchup against Colgate. The Raiders started strong with four straight wins but have since gone 0-5. They’ll enter the JMA Wireless Dome coming off a 55-41 loss to UAlbany, which SU thrashed 64-45 on Nov. 7.
Here’s everything to know about Colgate (4-5, Patriot League) before its encounter with Syracuse (8-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) on Wednesday:
All-time series
Syracuse leads 16-0.
Last time they played
On Nov. 10, 2022, SU handily defeated Colgate 72-48, extending its winning streak between the two squads. It was the Orange’s 11th time taking down the Raiders by at least 20 points, as Syracuse opened its season 2-0.
SU jumped out to a 20-6 lead in the first quarter and never relinquished. While Colgate’s Jenna Paul shot an efficient 6-of-12 from the field for a team-leading 18 points, her supporting cast was relatively weak on both ends of the floor. Meanwhile, the Orange shot 47% overall and had four scorers in double figures.
The victory was Felisha Legette-Jack’s second as Syracuse’s head coach, kickstarting SU’s 20-13 season that ended in an ACC Tournament First Round exit against NC State.
The Raiders report
Through its first nine games under first-year head coach Shannon Bush, Colgate is off to a shaky start. This is Bush’s first season as a collegiate head coach after stints on staff at Fresno State, Siena, Vermont, Sacred Heart and, most recently, Cornell.
Besides adding Bush, the Raiders grabbed just one player from the transfer portal, largely sticking with the 23-10 roster that produced the most successful season in program history.
While Colgate’s offensive production has been scarce, averaging 58.2 points per game, the nation’s 296th-best mark per HerHoopStats, junior forward Ella Meabon has flourished, raising her average to a career-high 15.4 points per game from 3.1 last year. It’s also the sixth-best mark in the Patriot League thus far.
How Syracuse beats Colgate
Syracuse is defying expectations with its impressive 8-1 start. Its latest result was a dominant — despite just a nine-point margin — victory over SMU. For SU to beat Colgate, it must again attack down low. Uche Izoje has recorded 20 blocks in her last three games, propelling her to back-to-back ACC Rookie of the Week honors. Giving Izoje the ball at the block offensively and letting her do what she does defensively could single-handedly will the Orange to victory.
Syracuse also rediscovered its outside shooting touch Sunday. Sophie Burrows knocked down five 3s for a season-high 22 points, while Dominique Darius and Laila Phelia also joined in with multiple 3-pointers. Madeline Potts punctuated the effort with her second triple of the season.
After the Orange defeated the Mustangs, Legette-Jack said SU will never be afraid to shoot the ball. Even after experiencing previous inconsistencies, Syracuse attempted a season-high 28 triples, hitting 11 of them.
Successfully attacking Colgate at both levels will be the difference between a tight game and a blowout. The Raiders possess an aforementioned middle-of-the-pack offense and a similarly middling defense, allowing 65.2 points a contest, the 207th-best mark in Division I. Syracuse should be well on its way to its ninth win of the season.
Stat to know: 77.4%
As Syracuse’s season has worn on, its foul troubles, particularly with Izoje and Journey Thompson, have subsided. But with the Raiders’ 77.4% free-throw percentage, the country’s 30th-best mark, even minor lapses in discipline can haunt SU.
Colgate has three players shooting over 80% from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, Thompson, Izoje, Darius and Aurora Almón have each picked up four fouls in games this year. The Orange, in particular, can’t afford to lose Darius and Izoje. With the Raiders’ limited firepower, they’ll likely do whatever they can to gain an advantage, even if it means drawing fouls on SU’s most significant playmakers.
Player to watch: Ella Meabon, forward, No. 25
When Colgate has looked for offense, it has often targeted Meabon. She’s attempted 12.4 shots per game, 3.6 more than second-ranked Tatiana Matthews. After a quiet start to her career, Meabon has made a noticeable jump this season. She’d started just one game in her 59 appearances over the last two years but has now emerged as a reliable starter with Sophia Diehl’s departure.
Meabon’s not just a scorer, though. She recorded her first-career double-double on Nov. 10 against New Hampshire, tallying 35 points and 11 rebounds. The Fairport, New York, native also leads the team with 2.1 assists per game and has posted two 20-plus-point games and three more in double digits.
