Orangewomen Open Season with 76-70 Overtime Victory at Long Beach State
11/17/2001 4:35:33 PM | Women's Basketball
LONG BEACH, Calif – Sophomore guard Julie McBride (Mechanicville, N.Y./Catholic Central) scored a career-high 21 points, including seven in overtime, to lead the Syracuse women's basketball team to a 76-70 overtime victory at Long Beach State on Saturday, Nov. 17 in the 2001-02 season-opener for both schools.
McBride was one of four players in double figures for the Orangewomen. Sophomore Shannon Perry (Providence, R.I./LaSalle) tied a career high with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Perry recorded SU's first double-double of the season, also grabbing 10 rebounds. Senior forward Jazmine Wright (South Orange, N.J./Columbia) added 15 points in her first start since her sophomore season, and senior guard Jaime James (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) chipped in with 12 points, including five in the extra session.
Syracuse (1-0) fell behind early, trailing the 49ers (0-1), 15-4, with 13:16 remaining in the first half. The Orangewomen clawed their way back into the game with a 28-13 run during the next 11 minutes to take a 30-28 lead. Perry came off the bench to spark SU, scoring 12 points and adding two assists during the spurt. Syracuse went into the locker room with a 32-31 lead.
Long Beach State started strong in the second half, taking a 47-40 lead with 13:42 remaining in the second half. Syracuse again fought back with a 19-7 run of its own to take a 59-54 lead with 4:51 left in regulation. The 49ers scored then scored six consecutive points to take a one-point lead, but Perry hit one of two free throws with 30 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.
The 49ers scored the first basket of overtime and held the lead until James hit her first three-pointer of the game with 2:05 left to give SU a one-point lead that it would never relinquish. McBride pushed the lead to four with another triple. A layup by sophomore center Chineze Nwagbo (Lanham-Seabrook Md./Duval Senior) set the final score at 76-70. Syracuse was a perfect 6-for-6 from free-throw line in overtime.
Nwagbo led Syracuse on the boards with a career-high 13 rebounds and four steals. McBride led the Orangewomen with five assists and also hit a career-best 11 free throws without a miss. In additon to her points and rebounds, Perry added two assists, a block and three steals.
Jinga Gosschalk led the 49ers with 20 points, including five three-point field goals. All five starters scored in double figures for Long Beach State. Crystal Givens had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Syracuse continues its three-game California road trip on Monday, Nov. 19 with a game at Cal State-Northridge. Tip-off is set for 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time at the Matadome.
