Orangewomen Face Binghamton Saturday at 5 p.m.
12/21/2002 11:09:54 AM | Women's Basketball
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse women's basketball team will play the first of three consecutive home games when they host Binghamton on Saturday, December 21 at 5 p.m. It is the first meeting with the Bearcats since February 6, 1975. Any fan attending the men's game versus Georgia Tech at 12 p.m. on Saturday can show their ticket stub at the Manley Field House gate to gain free admission to the women's contest.
The Orangewomen are coming off a come-from-behind overtime victory at Vermont. SU trailed by 14 points in the first half, 12 points in the second half and four points in overtime, but fought back to take a 79-75 decision, snapping the Catamounts 11-game home winning streak. Sophomore Rochelle Coleman scored a career-high 25 points. The last of her career-best five three-pointers came with 1:44 left in overtime, giving SU a 74-73 lead it would never give up. Coleman also had career highs in field goals (8) and free throws (4). Five Orangewomen scored in double figures. Junior Julie McBride tallied 11 of her 15 points in the first half. Junior forward April Jean had 11 points, while junior Shannon Perry and freshman Tierra Jackson each scored 10. Jean led Syracuse with nine rebounds. Centers Awa Diop and Jill Norton each tied career highs with four points.
Five Orangewomen are averaging 8.0 points or more, including four in double figures. McBride is the Orangewomen’s leading scorer at 16.5 points per game. She also leads the team with 6.9 assists per contest. Perry is averaging a double-double of 15.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. She is also second on the team with 18 steals. Coleman is hitting at a 12.5 points-per-game clip, while Jean is averaging 10.3 points. Jackson has been SU’s main threat off the bench, scoring 8.0 points and grabbing 6.1 rebounds per game.
Binghamton is in just its second year at the Division I level. Last season, the Bearcats went 19-9 overall and 10-6 in their first season in the America East Conference. This season, Binghamton is off to a 2-4 start after defeating Manhattan, 66-65, on December 14. The Bearcats’ other victory was a 66-48 win versus Cornell. They have lost to Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State, Wagner and Columbia.
Last time out, the Bearctats overcame a 10-point deficit in the second half to win at Manhattan. Three players scored in double figures led by Leala Wegwerth’s 15 points. Nicole Dypult had 12 and Kate Townley added 10. The Bearcats shot 53.2 percent from the floor, incuding almost 60 percent in the second half. They outrebounded the Jaspers, 41-24, limiting Manhattan to only 12 defensive rebounds.
Jennifer Blues, a freshman, leads the team in scoring at 13.8 points per contest. She is the only player averaging in double figures, and is on pace to become the first Binghamton rookie to score 10-or-more points a game since the 1998-99 season. She is the reigning America East Rookie of the Week. Wegwerth is second on the team, averaging 9.7 points per contest. Dypolt is the team’s leading rebounder with a 5.3 rebounding average. Townley paces the Bearcats with 5.7 assists per game.
Syracuse leads the all-time series with Binghamton, 4-0. The two teams have not met since February 6, 1975, a 57-29 win for the Orangewomen in Syracuse. SU is 3-0 at home versus the Bearcats. The only game played at Binghamton was a 41-19 SU victory on February 19, 1974.
