Orangewomen Host Top-Ranked Huskies on Wednesday
2/12/2002 3:39:58 PM | Women's Basketball
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse Orangewomen will host the top-ranked team in the nation for the third time in two seasons when the Connecticut Huskies come to Manley Field House on Wednesday, Feb. 13. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Syracuse played UConn last season when they were ranked first and also hosted Notre Dame when the Fighting Irish occupied the top spot in the polls.
Syracuse is 14-8 overall and 7-4 in the BIG EAST. The Orangewomen are coming off an 80-70 defeat at Providence last Saturday. Four Syracuse players scored in double figures, led by sophomore Julie McBride's (Mechanicville, N.Y./Catholic Central) 19 points.
The Orangewomen are off to their best start since the 1987-88 season. Syracuse has already clinched a winning regular season, its first since the 1989-90 team was 15-12 heading into the BIG EAST Tournament. McBride leads the Orangewomen and ranks second in the BIG EAST with a 15.7 per game scoring average. She also leads the squad with 124 assists. SU's point guard needs 55 more points to become the first Syracuse player to score 400 points and have 100 assists in the same season.
Senior guard Jaime James (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) has made history of her own this season, becoming the first Orangewoman to record 200 or more career three-pointers. James and current SU men's player Preston Shumpert are the only two student-athletes in Syracuse history to achieve that milestone. James is second on the squad in scoring at 14.6 points per game. Her 15.4 scoring average in conference play ranks second in the BIG EAST.
Sophomore Shannon Perry (Providence, R.I./LaSalle) is also averaging in double figures at 11.6 points per contest. Perry is also Syracuse's leading rebounder at 6.4 boards per game despite coming off the bench and averaging just 25.6 minutes per game.
The top-ranked Huskies come into the game unbeaten at 26-0 overall and 12-0 in the BIG EAST. Connecticut defeated Virginia Tech in its last game on Saturday, 77-42. Tamika Williams led four players in double figures with 15 points. All five starters boast double-figure scoring averages, led by Swin Cash at 15.3 points per game. Cash is also the BIG EAST’s leading rebounder at 9.2 boards per game. BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year Sue Bird is averaging 14.3 points, 6.1 assists and 2.6 steals per game. Diana Taurasi (13.7 ppg) is the Huskies biggest outside threat, connecting on 58 three-pointers in 130 attempts (44.6 percent).
The Huskies lead the all-time series 22-12, including eight consecutive victories. They swept last season’s series, defeating SU, 76-63, at Manley Field House on Jan. 9 and taking an 84-60 decision in Hartford on Jan. 27. SU’s last victory was a 62-59 win at Manley Field House during the 1995-96 campaign.
