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SU HOSTS CINCINNATI AT THE DOME
The Syracuse women’s basketball team will try and end its five-game losing streak on Saturday, Jan. 21 when it hosts conference newcomer Cincinnati at the Carrier Dome. It is the longest losing streak for SU since it dropped six straight decisions last season from Feb. 2-19, 2005. Coach Cieplicki’s squad is 0-6 in the conference for the first time since it started 0-15 in league play during the 1993-94 campaign. The Orange are also in the midst of a five-game home losing skid. Syracuse hasn’t posted a victory in the Salt City since defeating Massachusetts, 81-76, in its 2005-06 Dome opener on Dec. 10, 2005. In its most recent outing, at USF on Jan. 18, the Orange lost to the Bulls, 73-55. Junior Tracy Harbut and freshman Brittany Smith turned in solid outings against the Bulls. Harbut tallied 16 points, the 11th time she has scored in double figures this season and Smith registered a career-best 11 rebounds in her return to the Orange’s starting five. Saturday’s encounter marks the third meeting of the series between SU and Cincinnati.
BILL LAIMBEER TO TAKE IN ORANGE CLASH WITH BEARCATS
Current head coach of the WNBA’s Detriot Shock and former NBA star Bill Laimbeer will be in attendance for SU’s meeting with Cincinnati. Laimbeer is the father of Orange freshman forward Keri Laimbeer. Bill, a Notre Dame alum, took over the Shock in 2002 and guided the team to its first WNBA championship in 2003. For his work, he was named the 2003 WNBA Coach of the Year. During his NBA playing days, Laimbeer averaged 12.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in 14 seasons with Cleveland and Detroit. He was a four-time NBA All-Star and member of back-to-back NBA championship teams (1989 and 1990) with the Pistons. A member of the famed "Bad Boys" he played with a number of Piston greats, including current New York Knicks general manager Isiah Thomas and current Pistons GM Joe Dumars. In college, Laimbeer helped the Fighting Irish to the 1978 Final Four. In the offseason, Laimbeer serves as an analyst for NBA telecasts.
SIPAVICIUTE REACHES ANOTHER MILESTONE
Sophomore center Vaida Sipaviciute continued her spectacular season on Jan. 18 with 14 points at USF. The performance put her over the 300-point mark for the season (311). She is just the second in player in the last three years to net at least 300 points in one campaign. Julie McBride also achieved the feat, scoring 441 points in 2003-04. Sipaviciute is averaging 18.3 points per game, the fifth-best mark in the BIG EAST. She is on pace for the fourth-best single season scoring average in team history. Sipaviciute is the first player since Holly Oslander (390/67) to tally 300 points and 40 blocks in the same year.
ECKHART CRACKS ROOKIE SCORING CHART
Freshman Jenny Eckhart has proved herself as a scorer this season. The freshman guard has totaled 172 points through SU’s first 17 games and became one of the Orange’s top 20 freshman scorers with eight points against USF on Jan. 18. She currently ranks 19th on that list.
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Cincinnati has rebounded from a 9-19 record in 2004-05 to start this season 11-5. The Bearcats have been particularly difficult to beat at Fifth Third Arena, where they are 9-2. Coach Laurie Pirtle’s team is 2-3 on the road. The Bearcats earned their first league win on Jan. 15 with an 89-87 triumph over USF. Cincinnati’s 89 points represented its highest point total in three years. The Bearcats have done a good job on the boards this year. They are allowing just 31.4 rebounds per game and are third in the conference in rebounding margin (+8.4). Junior guard Treasure Humphries is the team’s leading scorer at 13.8 points per game. She leads the conference in steals per game at 2.69 per outing. Cincinnati’s roster features a pair of sisters - Anne and Jill Stephens. Both players are averaging more than 8.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Anne, a senior, is scoring 8.5 points per outing and is pulling down 4.8 boards per contest. Jill, a freshman, is averaging 8.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Pirtle is in her 20th season as the Bearcats’ mentor. She is one of six BIG EAST coaches to have at least 275 victories at their current school. She owns a 372-296 overall record in 23+ yeares as a head coach.
THE SYRACUSE-CINCINNATI SERIES
The Orange and Bearcats have met twice previously. The two clubs have split the meetings, which have been decided by a total of seven points. During SU’s run to the 2002 NCAA Tournament, the Orange earned a 70-68 decision in Cincinnati. Julie McBride scored 19 points in 40 minutes of action and Shannon Perry netted 15 points to go along with nine rebounds to lead the Orange to victory. The two squads first got together in 1982 as part of the Domino’s Wolverine Classic in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Bearcats won that encounter, 75-70.
Saturday’s meeting is the first in Syracuse.
Syracuse vs. Cincinnati Facts & Figures
All-Time Series: Tied, 1-1
First Meeting: Dec. 29, 1982 (Cincinnati 75, Syracuse 70)
Last Meeting: Jan. 8, 2002 (Syracuse 70, Cincinnati 68)
Last 10 Meetings: See all-time series record
Current Streak: SU, 1
Coach Cieplicki’s Record vs. Cincinnati: First Meeting
