Orange Tops Manhattan 65-61 in Season Opener

Friday, November 18

Riverdale, N.Y.

7:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Manhattan

Freshman Jenny Eckhart tallied a game-high 20 points in her first collegiate contest.

11/18/2005 11:31:22 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

RIVERDALE, N.Y. -- Freshman Jenny Eckhart’s two free-throws with four seconds remaining sealed the win for Syracuse as the Orange topped the Manhattan Jaspers, 65-61, on Friday, Nov. 18 in the season opener at Draddy Gymnasium. Eckhart scored a game-high 20 points in her first collegiate contest, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 4-of-7 from beyond the three-point arc.

Junior Tracy Harbut recorded her first career double-double, grabbing a personal-best 13 rebounds and scoring 10 points. Two other Orange players also reached double figures: sophomore Vaida Sipaviciute tallied 16 points and nine rebounds, while freshman Keri Laimbeer added 15 points. Laimbeer shot 7-of-11 from the field, including her first career three-point basket. Classmate Cintia Johnson dished out a game-high six assists in her inaugural collegiate game.

Syracuse came out firing, building an early six-point lead, 8-2. Manhattan battled back to take its first lead of the game, 12-11, at the 11:06 mark of the first half. A three-point basket by junior Ashley McMillen put the Orange back on top, but the lead would change hands seven times before settling into a 28-28 halftime tie.

SU opened the second half with a 12-5 run to build a 40-33 advantage with 16:35 remaining. The Jaspers answered with a run of their own, whittling the lead to 42-41 with 11:29 to play. At the 3:19 mark, Eckhart drained a three-point basket to put the Orange back up by six.

Joann Nwafili converted two free-throws, which were complimented by a key lay-up by freshman Kymesha Alston to cut the Syracuse lead to two with just 55 seconds remaining on the clock. Alston led the Jaspers, scoring 13 points and bringing down six rebounds.

Manhattan had a chance to tie the game with 13 seconds remaining in the second half, but Caitlin Flood’s lay-up wouldn’t fall. A follow-up attempt by Alston was blocked by Sipaviciute and the Orange controlled the rebound. The Jaspers were forced to foul Eckhart with four seconds remaining to stop the clock.

Syracuse shot 47.3 percent from the field, going 26-for-55 as a team. SU also converted 7-of-13 from the free-throw line for a total of 53.8 percent. The win preserved a perfect 9-0 all-time record for head coach Keith Cieplicki in season-opening games.

The Orange continues regular-season action when it travels to Buffalo on Saturday, November 19 for a 2:00 p.m. tip-off.