Orangewomen Lose BIG EAST Home Opener to Miami
1/8/2003 9:49:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Junior April Jean (Sacramento, Calif./Coffeyville C.C.) scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds, but the Syracuse women's basketball team lost its BIG EAST home opener, 85-68, against Miami on January 7. The Orangewomen are now 5-8 overall and 0-2 in conference play, while the Hurricanes improved to 10-3 overall and 2-0 in the league.
Jean also dished out a career-high six assists and was a perfect nine-for-nine from the free throw line.
Junior Julie McBride (Mechanicville, N.Y./Catholic Central) contributed 16 points and a team-high eight assists. McBride is now just 54 points shy of the 1,000-point milestone for her career. Sophomore Rochelle Coleman (Burtonsville, Md./Paint Branch) added 12 points and rookie Tierra Jackson (Upper Marlboro, Md./Frederick Douglass) chipped in with 11 points off the bench.
Freshman Tamara James led the Hurricanes with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Yalonda McCormick scored 10 points and dished out a game-high nine assists and grabbed eight steals. Shaquana Wilkins added 14 points.
Miami scored 43 points off of Syracuse's season-high 30 turnovers. The Hurricanes had the advantage on the glass, outrebounding the Orangewomen, 43-29. Miami's 85 points were the most surrendered by SU this season. The Orangewomen dished out a season-high 22 assists.
McBride started off hot, scoring the Orangewomen's first eight points to give the Orangewomen an 8-4 lead. The teams stayed close for the first portion of the opening stanza, with Syracuse leading 17-16 at the 12:44 mark.
The Hurricanes used back-to-back three point baskets by Hutashi Wilson and Meghan Saake to close a 19-4 run, giving Miami a 35-21 lead. Led by James' 17 points, Miami entered intermission with a 41-29 lead.
The teams played even for much of the second half as the Hurricanes' lead did not extend to more than 14 until the 6:03 mark. A McBride three-pointer, her fourth of the game, cut the Miami lead to 63-55 with 9:14 remaining in the game. Miami answered with eight consecutive points to take a 71-55 lead.
Syracuse returns to action Saturday, January 11, at BIG EAST foe Rutgers. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
