Observations from SU’s loss to No. 6 UL: 1st-quarter fail, Darius ignites
Syracuse women’s basketball failed to make a field goal in the first quarter against No. 6 Louisville, ultimately dooming its upset bid and Dominique Darius’ 22-point day. Zoe Xixis | Asst. Photo Editor
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The only thing missing from Syracuse women’s basketball’s resume in its miraculous turnaround season is a signature win.
The Orange have quietly shot up to third in the Atlantic Coast Conference after finishing 13th last season. They have the star performances, the stellar record and the conference success of most NCAA Tournament contenders. SU’s just been missing the big, statement win over a ranked foe that shows it’s a real threat — it previously lost by 20-plus points to both ranked teams it faced.
Syracuse got a pristine opportunity for that statement win, to right a wrong at home against No. 6 Louisville. Instead, the Orange couldn’t keep up in a key contest against the ACC’s best.
Here are some observations from SU’s (19-5, 9-4 ACC) 84-65 loss against Louisville (22-4, 12-1 ACC):
1st quarter to forget
Syracuse’s first quarter Sunday was probably one of the worst periods it’s ever played in the JMA Wireless Dome. The Orange went 0-for-13 from the field, 0-for-6 from 3 and turned the ball over five times.
It started with SU’s longest scoring drought to start a game this season. The Orange didn’t record a point until the 5:13 mark in the first, when Uche Izoje sank one-of-two from the line. By then, Louisville had already snagged a 12-0 advantage on 6-of-7 shooting.
As the Orange chucked 13 wayward attempts, the Cardinals enjoyed one of their best shooting quarters of the year. They were getting inside at will, shooting a combined 12-of-14 from the field. Louisville only had to attempt two 3-pointers, making one, and still dropped nearly 30 points in the quarter. The Cardinals also outrebounded SU 11-4.
Syracuse spent the whole afternoon trying to claw back. It was a valiant effort, but the Orange just can’t expect to have a hideous first frame and still compete — especially against one of the best teams in the country.
Beat at their own game
Syracuse entered Sunday’s matchup as the sixth-best offensive rebounding team in the nation, per SportsReference, averaging 17.5 offensive boards per game.
Louisville, meanwhile, ranked 37th with 14.6 offensive rebounds and 34th with 28.4 defensive boards a game. It was an enticing matchup on the glass — one that Syracuse needed to win to have a real shot at an upset.
The Orange eventually lost that battle on the glass. In turn, they lost the game.
SU was outrebounded 39-27 and 14-11 on the offensive boards. Leading rebounder Izoje tallied just one offensive board. Aurora Almón picked up a team-high three offensive, although she finished the day with just four total. Louisville had six players with over three boards, including three with over five.
Darius gives SU life
After one of Syracuse’s worst first quarters ever, head coach Felisha Legette-Jack must’ve supplied her team — or at least Dominique Darius — with Michael Jordan’s Secret Stuff. The Orange torched the Cardinals in the second frame, outscoring them 30-16. Darius had as many points as Louisville by herself on a perfect 6-of-6 from the field.
Granted, she didn’t take a field goal in the first quarter and had a minus-14 plus-minus. When Syracuse desperately needed a spark, though, she came through.
On the first possession of the second quarter, Darius maneuvered to the elbow for a smooth pull-up jumper, SU’s first made field goal of the day. Four minutes later, she nailed a 3 from the right wing to kick-start a 9-2 run in SU’s favor.
Then, Darius and Uche Izoje traded buckets for the Orange to trim Louisville’s lead to seven, the closest the game had been since early in the first quarter. Even when the Cardinals extended the advantage to 11, Darius sized up her defender and canned a straightaway 3. It trimmed SU’s deficit to eight at the half, an unfathomable mark considering the way the Orange started the contest.
She picked up where she left off in the third quarter, getting to the line for an early free throw before nailing a step-back 3-pointer as the shot clock expired. She tallied six points in the third but none in the fourth to close out a 22-point, 100% shooting day.
Turnover troubles
Louisville’s defense made Syracuse uncomfortable from the opening possession. The Orange turned the ball over five times in the first quarter and four times in the opening four minutes. It resulted in four points the other way, contributing to a 12-0 Louisville run to start the game.
The Cardinals disrupted SU’s ball handlers with double-teams and quick rotations early. Three and a half minutes in, Darius was double teamed from the left wing and ran straight into Laura Ziegler, who ripped the ball away and laid it in for an easy two.
After the Orange trailed 10-0 at the first media timeout, Laila Phelia was double teamed at half court and coughed up the rock for a deuce the other way. Keira Scott did the same with 20 seconds left in the quarter, helping Louisville close the frame up by 22.
Syracuse eventually returned the favor, forcing six first-quarter turnovers, although they didn’t result in any buckets the other way. SU ended up winning the margin 19-15, but its mistakes doomed it early.
SU’s ball handlers eventually settled down in the second quarter as the Orange turned the game around. SU still ended the game with 15 turnovers, contributing to 21 points the other way for Louisville.
Experimenting with the rotation
Considering Syracuse entered the game on a three-game hot streak, you would think the Orange might not try to switch it up too much against one of the nation’s best teams. But after a disastrous first quarter, why not try something new?
Legette-Jack turned to freshman point guard Camdyn Nelson earlier than expected. While she started SU’s first three games of the season, she hadn’t been a mainstay in the rotation since. But after Syracuse’s guards combined for four turnovers early, Nelson saw some early run while Darius took a seat.
The same went for Jasmyn Cooper, a freshman forward who’d started a few games before seeing her playing time dwindle to just 9.1 minutes a game. Cooper checked in to start the second quarter and canned a big triple from the left wing. She finished the day with five points and 15 minutes.
Ultimately, while SU couldn’t complete the comeback, the freshmen helped provide some viable options off the bench.
