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Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack is well-acquainted with New York.

Legette-Jack was born and raised in Syracuse, played basketball at SU from 1984-89 and came back as an assistant coach on the Orange’s staff in 1993.

Then, she coached at Hofstra on Long Island from 2002-06 before moving back upstate as the University at Buffalo’s head coach from 2012-22. She’s now in her fourth season as Syracuse women’s basketball’s head coach, where she’s helped it to an 8-1 start this year after a paltry 12-18 finish a season ago.

Of SU’s nine opponents, four (Stony Brook, UAlbany, Canisius and Wagner) hail from New York. The Orange beat all of them by over 15 points. In one of its final tune ups before Atlantic Coast Conference play heats up, Syracuse welcomed a reeling Colgate squad to the JMA Wireless Dome Wednesday night with a chance to get to 9-1.

The Orange did just that in their 88-42 win over the Raiders, improving to 5-0 over New York opponents this season. Behind Uche Izoje’s 16 points and Sophie Burrows’ 13, SU led 24-5 after the first quarter and never looked back.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (9-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) blowout win over Colgate (4-6, Patriot League) Wednesday night.

Blazing hot start

Saying Syracuse dominated to start the game would be a major understatement. It led 14-0 five minutes into the contest.

The Orange held the Raiders scoreless until the 4:34 mark of the first quarter, remaining multiple steps ahead of Colgate in all facets of the game. From strong efficiency to crisp passing, SU was in command early.

Colgate, on the other hand, started 0-of-7 from the field and couldn’t find an offensive rhythm. Many of its shots were poorly timed and well off-target. Even Ella Meabon, who entered Wednesday leading the Raiders at 15.4 points per game, started just 1-of-6.

The Raiders also committed five early fouls, giving SU seven looks at the line in the first quarter. Colgate’s sloppiness allowed Syracuse to storm down the court at will and knock down shots.

It was the Phelia, Izoje and Burrows show early. The trio combined to shoot 6-for-7 in the first quarter, tallying 79.1% of SU’s first-quarter points.

To cap a high-octane quarter, Angelica Velez beat the buzzer with a jumper. It was a microcosm of SU’s early dominance, and put the Orange up 24-5 after one.

Syracuse quiets Ella Meabon

Colgate’s Ella Meabon has been the epitome of streaky this season. In a victory over New Hampshire on Nov. 10, she recorded a career-high 35 points on an ultra-efficient 13-of-17 from the field. But she’s been largely inefficient since, including shooting just 25% against UC Irvine on Nov. 29.

So, which version of Meabon would the Raiders be getting tonight?

The latter. Syracuse swarmed Meabon in the first half, forcing her into errant shots time and time again. SU’s defense, which allowed just 29 points against Wagner on Nov. 16, made Meabon’s life difficult, and she finished the half just 3-of-11 from the field.

The Orange also forced Meabon into two first-half turnovers, which have been a recurring issue for Colgate’s junior. She entered Wednesday with 21 turnovers in her last four games, and Syracuse forced her into another similar outing.

Despite not taking many shots early in the second half, she remained a non-factor and had two more turnovers. Albeit a weaker opponent, Syracuse’s ability to shut down teams’ top scorers is a promising sign heading into the bulk of ACC play.

Burrows steps up

Whether it was a confidence issue or not, Burrows wasn’t herself to start the year. Through SU’s first seven games, she shot a pitiful 28.6% from the field, including a 1-for-10 stinker in Syracuse’s lone loss against then-No. 6 Michigan on Nov. 22.

It was a matter of time before she’d get going. Her sophomore 39.6% 3-point clip wasn’t going to magically disappear forever.

Everything flipped on its head against SMU Sunday, when she nailed five 3s, and Wednesday night was no different. Not only did she lead Syracuse with 11 points at halftime, but she was poised and efficient from downtown, knocking down 3-of-4 3s.

It was more of the same to start the second half. Her tip-shot gave SU a game-high 30-point advantage two minutes into the third quarter, and despite missing the ensuing free throw, she got a rebound and dished it out to keep the possession alive.

Burrows also excelled on the boards Wednesday after grabbing six in Dallas Sunday. She notched five total rebounds against the Raiders.

Time will tell if these last two games have been outliers or signs that she’s returned to her old self, but Burrows ignited SU’s offense early and often Wednesday. The Australian finished the night 5-of-10 from the field with three 3s.

Syracuse empties out bench

It may not happen frequently in conference play, but SU’s entire roster saw meaningful minutes on Wednesday.

When Syracuse’s lead ballooned to over 30 in the third quarter, Legette-Jack emptied the bench, inserting players like Justus Fitzgerald and Madeline Potts into the game.

Potts hasn’t found her rhythm yet this season, but Wednesday was a major step in the right direction. She had 10 points by the end of the third, and looked decisive and calm all evening. Despite making just two 3s so far this season, she added one Wednesday night.

Olivia Schmitt, who’s seen limited playing time due to injury this season, also added a 3. Similar to Potts, the sophomore hasn’t found much consistency through nine games, but Wednesday’s performance was more than encouraging.

Twelve players received double-digit minutes Wednesday. Syracuse’s early cushion proved to be the difference in a variety of ways, but mainly because it gave reps to underclassmen who may not have seen them if the game remained tight.

Published on December 10, 2025 at 9:05 pm
Contact Spencer: sabrod@syr.edu | @spencerbrod20