Orange Women's Basketball Gets Second Chance Versus Pittsburgh
1/14/2005 12:59:59 PM | Women's Basketball
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PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Syracuse will attempt to avenge a 63-57 loss to Pittsburgh at Manley Field House in the BIG EAST opener when it takes on the Panthers at the Petersen Events Center on Sunday, Jan. 12 at 12 p.m. The game is the BIG EAST Television game of the week and will be broadcast live by Fox Sports New York, Fox Sports Pittsburgh, Fox Sports New England, Fox College Sports and Comcast Sportsnet Chicago.
SU has not lost twice to Pittsburgh in the same season since 1994-95. The Panthers victory stopped the Orange’s four-game winning streak in the series. SU is coming off a 72-51 victory against Providence that snapped SU’s 14-game BIG EAST losing streak. Two rookies and a senior were the difference. Freshman Vaida Sipaviciute made her first career start and responded with her first double-double. She had a career-bests with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Classmate Jessica Richter tallied a career high for the second straight game, leading the team with 18 points. She had 17 in the Orange’s previous game at Notre Dame. Senior Chineze Nwagbo, SU’s top scorer (11.1) and rebounder (8.4), tallied 15 points, six rebounds and a career-high four blocked shots. It was her largest offensive output since hitting for 19 points at Massachusetts on Dec. 4. Senior Rochelle Coleman made her first start of the season and came through with eight points and a career-best nine assists in 39 minutes at the point. Coleman made two three-pointers to move into fourth place on SU’s career list (129). Sophomore Lauren Kohn scored nine points on three first-half three-pointers.
Pittsburgh has lost both its games since defeating the Orange, 60-57 to St. John’s and 68-41 at Rutgers. Katie Histed is the squad’s top scorer at 13.2 points per game. She is the Panthers’ top marksman from long range with 32 three-pointers in 84 attempts (.381). Freshman Marcedes Walker is scoring 12.8 points per game and is the squad’s top rebounder at 9.1 per contest. In BIG EAST play, Walker is the only player to be averaging a double-double. She is scoring at 16.3 pints per game and leads the conference with 11.3 rebounds a contest. Pittsburgh has a balanced offense with five other players scroing at leasts 6.0 points per game. The Panthers are similar to the Orange - each team has a much better chance of success when reaching 60 points. Pittsburgh is 8-2 when getting 60 and 1-3 when scoring less than 60. SU is 9-0 and 0-5. UP is the BIG EAST’s fifth-highest scoring team at 67.6 points per game. They are 10th in the league in scoring defense, allowing 63.8 per game. The Panthers are the league’s top rebounding squad at 46.8 per contest, five more than second-place St. John’s (41.8). They have a +6.2 rebounding margin for the season and outrebounded SU by 10 on Jan. 2.
The Orange owns a 26-15 all-time advantage in the series, including a 23-13 lead in BIGEASTregular-season play. Despite the loss earlier this season to the Panthers, the Orange has won nine of the last 12 meetings. SU won its first appearance at the Petersen Events Center, a 71-51 victory on Jan. 7, 2004.
LONG DISTANCE PLAN
SU has made 17 three-pointers in the last two games. Versus Notre Dame, SU took the quantity approach, launching a season-high 29 attempts and making nine of them (31.0 percent). Versus Providence, it was a more quality-based approached. SU hit eight three-pointers on just 14 attempts (57.1 percent). All 17 triples have been made by three players. Freshman Jessica Richter has made the most, going 8-for-17. Sophomore Lauren Kohn is next at 6-for-13 and senior Rochelle Coleman is 3-for-9. That triumverate has cobined to hit 75 of SU’s 76 three-pointers this season. Kohn leads the way with 28 with Coleman next at 24 and Richter third with 23. All three rank among the BIG EAST’s top 10 in three-pointers made. Syracuse is the only school to boast three players in the top 10. Rookie Amanda Adamson is the only other Orange player to make a triple. As a team, the Orange is averaging 5.4 makes from deep a game.
ROOKIE TANDEM PACES OFFENSE VERSUS FRIARS
The duo of freshmen Jessica Richter and Vaida Sipaviciute scored 18 and 14 points, respectively, in SU’s win versus Providence on Jan. 12. It was the most combined points by two Orange freshmen since Jaime James and Jazmine Wright scored 32 against Long Island on Nov. 29, 1998. James carried the load that game, hitting for 24, while Wright added eight points. SU has had two freshemen in double figures three times this season. In addition to the Providence victory, Richter and Sara Antolick had 11 and 12, respectively, against Yale, while Richter and Adamson went for 17 and 10 at Notre Dame.
