Orangewomen Host Providence Tonight
2/19/2003 11:46:32 AM | Women's Basketball
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Orangewomen basketball team will try to break a four-game losing streak when it hosts Providence at Manley Field House at 7 p.m. on February 19. Syracuse split last season's two meetings with Providence.
Syracuse (8-15, 3-9) lost another close game its last time out, 70-66 at Georgetown. It was the Orangewomen’s sixth loss of the season by four points or less. The game featured six ties and 10 lead changes with neither team leading by more than nine points. Sophomore Rochelle Coleman paced three Orangewomen in double figures with 16 points. Junior Julie McBride hit for 15, while junior Shannon Perry had 13 points. Junior April Jean led SU with 13 rebounds and freshman Tierra Jackson tied a career high with four blocked shots.
Perry is Syracuse’s leading scorer and rebounder this season with 16.0 points per game and 10.1 boards per contest. She is one of only two players in the BIG EAST to be averaging a double-double (Rebekkah Brunson, Georgetown). McBride follows closely at 15.8 points a game. Coleman is SU’s third-leading scorer with a 13.3 average. Jean is scoirng 9.4 points per game overall, but is hitting for 10.1 points a contest in BIG EAST play. SU has made 122 three-pointers this season, the fifth most in Orangewomen history. McBride (59) and Coleman (53) have combined for 112 of them. Jean is next with nine three-pointers and sophomore Krystalyn Ellerbe has one.
The Friars (9-14, 3-9) enter Wednesday’s game having lost six of their last seven. Providence’s only win in that stretch was a 57-54 home victory versus Pittsburgh on February 8. The Friars lost, 67-61, at home to Notre Dame in their last game on Sunday. The Friars fought back from a 13-point halftime deficit to outscore the Fighting Irish, 32-25, in the second half. Four players scored in double figures, led by Jessica Simmonds and Kristin Quinn’s 15 points. Andrea Horvath and Brooke Freeburg each hit for 11 points. The Friars outrebounded Notre Dame, 32-31.
Michal Epstein is Providence’s leading scorer this season at 15.0 points per game. She also leads the team with 59 assists. Freeburg is next t 9.0 points per game. Simmonds is the Friars leading rebounder with 5.8 boards per game. She is scoring 8.7 points per game overall and 10.2 points per BIG EAST contest.
Providence leads the all-time series with SU, 28-11. The two teams split a pair of meetings last season with each squad earning a victory on its home floor. The last six games between Providence and SU have been split down the middle at 3-3. The Friars hold a 9-7 advantage all-time at Manley Field House, however, the Orangewomen have won two of the last three home games against Providence.
