Syracuse women's basketball opened the season with a dominant 75-48 home victory against Sacred Heart University.
The starting five for the Orange included Keira Scott, Uche Izoje, Tyi Skinner, Emely Rodriguez and Sarah Rambus. Everybody who checked in for the Orange, starters and bench players, contributed to an exquisite defensive showing. On the second possession of the game, Scott picked up a clean interior block that set the tone for the Orange defense this contest. The length and pressure of the Orange forced Sacred Heart into tough offensive situations that often resulted in a turnover or a low-percentage three pointer. Celaine Ricco for example, the freshman Frenchwoman for Syracuse, came up with steals on three straight possessions in the first quarter and finished the game with seven. The Orange capitalized on both second chance points (thanks to a collective 27 offensive rebounds, nine of them by Izoje) and points off turnovers to execute a 16-4 run that would put 'Cuse up 22-9 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was more of the same. Skinner looked unusually quiet for most of the first half, but came alive with a bucket from deep late in the second quarter. The fifth-year finished the game with 11 points and 5 assists in 20 minutes. The score was 46-27 at halftime.
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While Coach Felisha Legette-Jack's squad continued to stifle the Pioneers' offensive efforts, Rodriguez carried the load on the other end of the floor. From beyond the arc, the Iowa transfer was 3-6 from three point range. She finished with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals in 21 minutes. Izoje had a subpar shooting night (7-19 from the field), but her tenacious offensive rebounding afforded her the opportunity to keep the offense flowing. By the 6:22 mark in the third quarter, Izoje had achieved her first double double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds in 24 minutes. An 11-0 run capped by a Ricco bucket put the Orange up 61-31 late in the third.
To start the fourth quarter, FLJ incorporated members of her bench unit like Olivia Schmitt, Angelica Velez, and Elif Cayir into the mix. For both teams, the offensive pace slowed to a crawl. Nonetheless, Syracuse pulled away with a commanding 75-48 win in what was an excellent defensive game from the Orange. Players like Izoje, Rambus and Jaleesa Molina looked very capable in the paint on both ends of the floor.
The Orange will return to the JMA Wireless Dome to play their second game of the season against Cornell on November 8 at 12:00 p.m. EST.
