Syracuse proves to be defensive juggernaut, defeats Colgate 88-42
SU proves to be defensive juggernaut; defeats Colgate 88-42
Syracuse remains undefeated with a 7-0 record at home and 9-1 record overall.
A 88-42 victory for Syracuse women’s basketball tallied a fourth straight win in the books. This is the lowest point total Colgate has recorded this season, and the lowest Syracuse has allowed in a game thus far.
It was a one-sided affair from the opening tip. Syracuse won and then went on a 14-0 run. By the end of the first quarter, the Orange were up 24-5 on the Raiders. The early half-court pressure Syracuse played held Colgate, who couldn’t crack 10 points.
The scoring streak the Orange was on slowed in the second half. The Raiders put pressure on the Orange with a full-court press, but that only lit a fire under the Orange. In the final three minutes, Sophie Burrows knocked back multiple three pointers to engineer a 42-16 lead heading into the locker room for half.
Uche Izoje joined Sophie Burrows’ stellar first half with 10 points and a block of her own. She only added onto that total later in the game, ending as the top scorer for the Orange with 16 points.
The Orange carried their momentum after halftime. After a close scare for the Raiders, who were creeping up, Syracuse extended its lead 64-28 by the end of the third quarter.
Sophie Burrows played expectational basketball, attacking the rim and stepping back for multiple three-point shots. Burrows finished the game with 13 points.
In the fourth quarter, the Orange looked to clean up and put the game away. The team did exactly that, limiting Colgate to only tacking on an additional 14 points. This was helped also by Dominique Darius who went on a run in the final few minutes of the game.
Madeline Potts said the hot start set the tone for the game.
“Definitely helped us coming out, like gaining our confidence and then building on that confidence for the rest of the game,” Potts said.
Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said she feels the defense has taken incredible shape so far this season.
“I love the way we’re flying around talking to each other…and being able to switch up on the fly,” Legette-Jack said. “I’m really excited about how good we can become if we can continue to defend the ball.”
The Orange will play the Binghamton Bearcats on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and will try to keep up their win streak and undefeated record at home.
