Game Notes (.pdf)
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ORANGE MEETS FIRST RANKED FOE OF 2005-06
The SU women’s basketball team will take on its first ranked opponent of the season when it hooks up with #7/8 Rutgers at the RAC on Sunday, Feb. 12. The game is the first in a stretch of four games against teams that have appeared in the national polls at some point this season. Following Rutgers, the Orange will host Connecticut and St. John’s and conclude the regular season at DePaul. Like the Scarlet Knights, Connecicut and DePaul have not dropped out of the polls at any time this season and St. John’s was ranked in the top 25 for two weeks until suffering a 74-59 loss to Marquette on Feb. 8. Syracuse has lost its last three games, dating back to a Jan. 31 defeat against Notre Dame. The Orange has owned second-half leads in each of those contests, but hasn’t been able to score a victory.
COMING UP BIG
Freshman Cintia Johnson played the most impressive game of her young career in SU’s last outing, at Louisville, on Feb. 12. She netted a personal-best nine points and grabbed a career-high nine boards versus the Cardinals. It was the first time this season the 5-foot-4 point guard led the Orange in rebounding. Johnson reclaimed a spot in SU’s starting lineup at Seton Hall on Jan. 25. In the five games since, she is averaging 23 minutes per game and 4.8 points per contest. Her field goal percentage is .529 (9-17). In the previous 18 games, Johnson averaged 17.9 minutes, 1.9 points per game and owned a field goal percentage of .345 (10-29).
SWAT TEAM
Syracuse blocked four shots at Louisville on Feb. 12, all of which were rejected by sophomore Vaida Sipaviciute. The blocks increased SU’s season total to 100, the 10th-best single-season team total in school history. Sipaviciute leads the team with 56 rejections, which currently ranks ninth on the Orange’s individual single-season blocks chart. Junior Tracy Harbut is second on the team with 17 swats. Freshman Brittany Smith is also in double figures in blocks with 10. The 1992-93 SU squad set the school record with 136 rejections.
ORANGE DEFENSE STIFLES LOUISVILLE IN FIRST HALF
The Syracuse defense held Louisville to 21 points in the first half on Feb. 12. It was the fewest points an SU opponent has tallied in one half of play this season, besting SU’s defensive efforts in the first halves at Niagara (11/23) and versus Marquette (1/14). The Orange held Louisville to 21.9 percent on 7-of-32 shooting from the field. The Cardinals’ field goal percentage and number of made field goals were also SU opponent lows for one half of play this year. Down 16-8 with 12:18 to go in the period, SU went on 12-3 run claim a 20-19 lead and held a 24-21 advantage at the break versus Louisville.
SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
Rutgers enters the contest with a perfect BIG EAST record (12-0) and is 20-3 overall. The Scarlet Knights have won eight straight games since losing to Temple, 48-47, on Jan. 19. Rutgers ranks fifth in the nation and leads the BIG EAST in scoring defense, allowing 52.2 points per game. It is also the best 3-point shooting team in the league, hitting 39.4 percent of its attempts from behind the arc (84-213). Rutgers is led by four-time conference Player of the Week and national Player of the Year candidate Cappie Pondexter. Pondexter ranks second in the country in scoring average at 21.6 points per game. Rutgers is coached by Vivian Stringer. Stringer entered this season third in career coaching victories and now has a record of 743-249 (.749). This year marks her 27th 20-win season, the third-most all-time. Stringer was the national coach of the year in 1982, 1988 and 1993. She is the only coach ever to take three teams to the Final Four (Cheyney State, Iowa, Rutgers).
THE SYRACUSE-RUTGERS SERIES
Rutgers owns a 26-3 advantage in all-time series between the two teams. The Scarlet Knights have won the last three straight pairings and hold a 13-2 record in BIG EAST regular-season matchups since they joined the league in 1995-96. SU’s last win over Rutgers came on Jan. 14, 2004, 59-57, in overtime. In that game, former SU standout Julie McBride hit a game-tying three with six seconds to go to force overtime. She also tallied five of SU’s eight points in the extra session and finished the game with 25 points.
The Orange is 0-14 all-time against Rutgers at the RAC.
Syracuse vs. Rutgers Facts & Figures
All-Time Series: RU leads, 26-3
First Meeting: Jan. 26, 1980 (Rutgers 92, Syracuse 72)
Last Meeting: Feb. 16, 2005 (Rutgers 64, Syracuse 54)
Last 10 Meetings: RU leads, 8-2
Current Streak: RU, 3
Coach Cieplicki’s Record vs. Rutgers: 1-4 (at Vermont 0-1; at Syracuse 1-3)
