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In Syracuse’s run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, it had a clear offensive identity. It lived or died by Dyaisha Fair. The fifth-year guard scored over 20 points 22 times, though when she wasn’t on her game, the Orange usually struggled.

So after Fair graduated, doubts arose whether SU would mirror that same success without her. Syracuse attempted to replace her and other departures’ production by grabbing transfers Angelica Velez and Journey Thompson and adding freshmen Madeline Potts, Keira Scott and Shy Hawkins.

Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said Syracuse would spread the ball around more without Fair. Though this has rung true across the Orange’s first four games, with multiple players scoring double-digits each time, there have been clear growing pains.

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out. How fast can we go?” Legette-Jack said.

Poor ball-handling and shot selection has plagued Syracuse’s (2-2, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) offense to start the season. Despite only registering five turnovers in their most recent win versus FDU, the Orange averaged 17.3 giveaways through their first four contests, ranking 174th out of 360 Division I teams, per Her Hoop Stats. Additionally, SU often takes contested shots in key moments which hinder its offense.

The season began with a favorable matchup against Niagara, but SU couldn’t pull away due to offensive blunders. It turned the ball over 30 times, leading to 33 points for the Purple Eagles.

Legette-Jack expected Niagara to apply full-court pressure and tried to prepare her players for the press in practice. However, the Orange weren’t ready. Niagara’s aggressive defense forced SU to make errant passes that were thrown out of bounds or easily intercepted.

Trying to combat the press, Syracuse increased its offensive pace, attempting shots early in possessions, according to senior guard Georgia Woolley. The Orange saw mixed success, but their inconsistency allowed Niagara to hang around until the fourth quarter.

“I think we came into halftime and realized that we were really playing a lot at their pace, and we needed to not take those quick shots every time,” Woolley said. “So we kind of got into things a little more, and I think we started to really dictate the game.”

Dakota Dorsey | Design Editor

Next, Syracuse faced off against Saint Joseph’s and tallied 21 turnovers. SJU made the Orange pay, knocking down 14 triples to win 84-70. In the third quarter, the Hawks pulled away courtesy of an 11-1 run, scoring points off Kyra Wood and Dominique Camp turnovers.

Down 13, SU scrambled to come back, but dug itself into a bigger hole. With nobody open, Velez forced an in-bounds pass to Wood. However, she threw it straight to SJU’s Laura Ziegler, leading to a three-point play for the Hawks.

Then, when SU finally gained momentum, it got greedy. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Olivia Schmitt stole the ball from Mackenzie Smith and passed it back to Scott. The freshman misfired a triple from four feet beyond the arc, promptly handing possession back to Saint Joseph’s.

“Niagara really came after us in a very impressive way. And I thought that (Saint Joseph’s) did too, but they did it with a level of discipline offensively and that took it up a notch,” Legette-Jack said postgame.

While Syracuse handled the ball better in its next game against No. 11 Maryland, its shot selection got worse, especially down the stretch. After falling behind by 13 midway through the third quarter, the Orange stormed back to pull within four with 3:53 left. But then everything fell apart.

After the Terrapins sank two free throws, Camp dribbled into the paint and heaved an off-balance shot off the backboard. Then, down by eight with 1:16 remaining, Woolley was trapped at the top of the key. She took a few dribbles and flung up an attempt that missed badly.

Both shots were well off the mark, contributing to Syracuse’s eventual 11-point defeat.

In SU’s most recent game against Fairleigh Dickinson, it showed it can win games handily when it’s more disciplined on offense. Against the Knights, Syracuse only tallied five giveaways en route to a 75-58 blowout. The Orange shot 48.5% from the field, constantly taking advantage of their clear size advantage to score 40 points in the paint.

Overall, creating clean looks helped SU’s defense immensely. It held FDU to only three fast break points, since the Orange had time to set their defense.

Legette-Jack believes Syracuse’s win over the Knights could be a step in the right direction. But in order to win games and build off last year’s performance, SU needs to be smart with the ball, which it hasn’t done consistently.

“This could be the team that really shocks everybody,” Legette-Jack said. “But right now, we’re playing as if the people on the outside are right, and I don’t believe that they are.”

Published on November 19, 2024 at 9:46 pm

Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @ Noahnuss99