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For the last two seasons, former Syracuse point guard Dyaisha Fair led the program in 3-point shooting. In 2023-24, Fair accounted for over half of the Orange’s 225 total 3s, which ranked 74th in the nation, per HerHoopStats.

But, through seven games this season, SU hasn’t replaced Fair’s production beyond the arc. Against Creighton Tuesday, the Orange’s top 3-point threats — Georgia Woolley and Sophie Burrows — struggled, combining to shoot 1-of-5 from deep.

Meanwhile, the Bluejays relentlessly torched SU from 3. Creighton’s Morgan Maly and Lauren Jensen stung Syracuse with an 11-of-13 clip from 3-point range.

Syracuse (3-4, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) couldn’t keep up with Creighton (4-2, 0-0 Big East), which made 15 3s compared to SU’s four. Consequently, the Orange fell 86–59 in the Beach Bracket Championship at the Emerald Coast Classic. SU has been held under five triples in its last three games, leading to a 1-2 record during the stretch.

Just under two minutes into the contest, Burrows connected on a 3-pointer, but it marked SU’s only make from behind the arc of the first quarter. Burrows, Woolley and Lexi McNabb each missed the mark as the Orange went 1-of-4 in the quarter.

On the other side, the Bluejays’ 3-point shooting was contagious. Just 21 seconds after the opening tip off, Jensen netted her first triple. It set off a domino effect, with Maly and Molly Mogensen cashing in over the next two minutes.

Jensen connected on a second 3-pointer for Creighton’s fourth of the game, maintaining the Bluejays’ perfect form on 3s. The Orange were constantly late to rotate on defense, and the Bluejays kept converting.

“We went player to player and that didn’t work,” SU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said. “And when (we went to the) 1-3-1 (zone), they figured that out and it was just their day and it wasn’t ours for sure.”

Creighton knocked down seven triples in the first quarter to jump out to a 29-9 lead. By that point, Jensen and Maly had already reached double figures while SU had shot just 4-of-16 from the field.

Similar to the first quarter, SU converted on an early shot from behind the arc to start the second quarter — a triple by freshman Keira Scott. And again, following the make, Syracuse’s deep threat dried out as it missed the next three attempted 3s in the quarter.

After a shot clock violation by the Orange at the 7:50 mark of the second quarter, Maly hit her third 3. Less than a minute later, Jensen hit another, putting the Bluejays ahead 37-15.

While Syracuse couldn’t find answers from deep, it also struggled to score inside. With under four minutes left in the second quarter, Journey Thompson worked to open space but missed a short jumper. The miss set off an 11-4 run by Creighton into halftime.

Jayme Horan hit a 3-pointer on a fast break right after Thompson’s miss. Then, after an offensive foul on Izabel Varejão, the Blue Jays continued to strike from long range. Mallory Brake corralled an offensive rebound and Kiani Lockett capitalized with a 3.

With five more 3s in the second quarter, Creighton built a 34-point halftime lead. The Bluejays’ Maly and Jensen shot a combined 9-of-9 from long range.

While Woolley and Burrows had little to show for from deep, Maly escalated her threat. She nailed two more 3-pointers early in the third quarter, starting the game 6-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Down 61-25, Syracuse abandoned the 3-point shot for most of the third quarter. The Orange looked for Varejão and Kyra Wood inside while Dominique Camp was the only SU player to attempt a 3-pointer in the quarter, which she converted.

With no 3s dropping, SU couldn’t make a dent in Creighton’s lead and it trailed by 34 heading to the fourth quarter. After making at least three triples in each of the first three quarters, the Bluejays went dry from deep in the final quarter. But it didn’t matter.

Olivia Schmitt was the only SU player to hit a 3 in the fourth quarter. But due to Creighton’s fast start from deep, the Orange were left in the dust.

“That thing was coming up and it was in before it went through the net,” Legette-Jack said. “There was nothing we could have done.”

Published on November 27, 2024 at 1:26 am

Contact Timmy at: tswilcox@syr.edu | @TimmyWilcox32