Syracuse defense dominates in 64-45 win over UAlbany

Syracuse women’s basketball put on a clinic on the defensive side of the floor in its 64-45 win over UAlbany on Friday night. 

Through three quarters, the Orange allowed just 18 points. Albany turned the ball over 24 times during that span. It was complete domination. The final scoreline flattered the Great Danes, who lost by 19. 

In the fourth quarter, Syracuse started to slip. Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack went deep into her bench during the game’s final ten minutes. But when the best players were on the floor, the Orange looked impenetrable.

“Defense should be our staple,” guard Dominique Darius said. “That’s what wins championships.”

Every defender swarmed to the ball. When a purple jersey drove to the paint, a crush of Orange players would collapse on them. When a Great Dane guard tried to bring the ball up the floor, they would be hounded by their Syracuse counterpart. 

“Defense is something you can hang your hat on,” coach Jack said. “Through the first three quarters, we did a tremendous job.” 

The Orange came into the game with a chip on their shoulder. Last season, they lost to Albany at home, their first-ever loss to the Great Danes. Even players who were not on last season’s team were motivated by the defeat. 

“We had a sense of pride coming into this game,” said Darius, who spent last season at USC.

That pride translated into a forceful defensive performance from Darius and her teammates. Friday was the first time Syracuse held an opponent to 45 points or fewer since December 21, 2023, when Saint Francis scored just 43 points.      

Syracuse’s offensive performance was not as strong, but there were some bright spots. Darius, center Uche Izoje and guard Angelica Velez scored in double figures for the Orange, with each player taking over the game for a short stretch. 

Darius scored six of the first eight points for Syracuse. Izoje scored the team’s first ten points of the second half, and Velez went on a six-point run of her own later in the third.

Three-point shooting continued to be a problem for the Orange. Syracuse has made just 14% of its threes in the opening two games. Darius drained one in the second quarter, which snapped a run of 50 minutes of game time over two games without the team making a shot from beyond the arc. 

Legette-Jack believes it’s only a matter of time until her team’s fortunes change. 

“They’ll fall eventually,” coach Jack said. “They’re wide open [shots].”

Legette-Jack’s rotation started to take shape against UAlbany. After the Stony Brook game, she highlighted the play of forward Justus Fitzgerald. The freshman scored four points and added three rebounds against Albany, playing just over 14 minutes. Nine of them came in the first half. For now, she is solidified as a legitimate part of Legette-Jack’s plans. 

“She’s just honestly the perfect coach for me,” Fitzgerald said. “If I work for it, she’ll let me go get it.”

Velez has impressed off the bench for Syracuse and fully embraced her role as a substitute scorer and defender. 

“It’s just fun,” she said. “Just being a spark off the bench, I can’t ask for a better role.”

Velez was the team’s third-leading scorer in the game with ten points. She was also a team-best plus-25.

The team’s top offensive players, Laila Phelia and Sophie Burrows, combined for just five points. The scoring depth players like Velez bring to the table is a welcome sign for a Syracuse team hoping for a bounce-back year. 

“I think that we might be onto something this season,” coach Jack said. “This is going to be a fun year.”