Orange and Panthers Meet at the Dome on Tuesday

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The Syracuse University women’s basketball team (8-10, 2-3 BIG EAST) welcomes BIG EAST foe RV/23 Pittsburgh (13-3, 1-2 BIG EAST) to the Carrier Dome on Tues., Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. Live video of the game is available as part of the Orange All-Access subscription. The game can be heard live on suathletics.com FREE with Brian Higgins calling the action. The game can also be heard live on WJPZ 89.1 FM. Live stats are also available on suathletics.com.

The Orange is coming off a 76-75 loss at No. 7/5 Connecticut on Jan. 13. The Panthers, who won their first 12 games, have lost three of their last four including a 76-69 loss against St. John’s on Jan. 13. Pittsburgh and Syracuse have three common opponents in Penn State, Marquette and St. John’s. The Panthers are 2-1 in those games, defeating Penn State and Marquette and the Orange are 1-2 winning at St. John’s.

MICHAEL CONTINUES TO SHINE

Freshman sensation Nicole Michael recorded her 14th double-figure game with 10 points at No. 7/5 Connecticut on Jan. 13. She also tallied four rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in her 28 minutes. Michael currently leads Syracuse in points per game (16.4) and rebounds per game (8.1).She has registered at least 10 points and five rebounds in 13 of SU’s 18 games. She has led the Orange in scoring 11 times, rebounding nine times, steals eight times, blocks six times and assists once. Michael is sixth overall and first for freshman in the BIG EAST (all games) in scoring. The freshman is 78th in the country in points per game. She is also ninth overall and second for freshman in rebounding in the conference (all games). She is fifth overall and first for freshman in defensive rebounds (all games) at 5.88. Michael is 15th in BIG EAST games only in steals per game (2.00).

SIPAVICIUTE MOVES INTO TOP 20 IN SCORING AGAINST UCONN

Junior center Vaida Sipaviciute scored a team-best 12 points at No. 7/5 Connecticut, raising her career total to 892 points, passing Rochelle Coleman for 20th in school history. Sipaviciute also added six rebounds and one block in 37 minutes of action against the Huskies. Sipaviciute is first on the team in blocks per game at 1.8 and field-goal percentage, making 47.5 percent (97-204) of her attempts. She is second on the squad in points per game (13.3) and third in rebounds per game (5.4). She has led the Orange in blocks 14 times, scoring five times, rebounding three times, steals twice and assists once. Sipaviciute has scored in double-figures in 15 of SU’s 18 games. The junior is fourth in the BIG EAST (all games) in blocks and 20th in scoring. Sipaviciute is 46th in the nation in blocked shots per game and 100th in field-goal percentage. In BIG EAST games only she is 15th in free-throw percentage, making 78.9 percent (15-19) of her attempts.

GOOD(WIN) OUTING

Junior Fantasia Goodwin netted 11 points, one rebound and one block in 26 minutes of action at No. 7/5 Connecticut on Jan. 13. It was the 12th time in 18 games that she has scored in double-figures. Goodwin is first on the team in 3-point field goal percentage, making 43.4 percent (33-76) of her attempts. She is also second in rebounds per game (7.1) and third in scoring (12.1), steals (1.2) and field-goal percentage, making 82 of her 192 attempts (.427). The junior has led the Orange in scoring four times, rebounding six times, steals twice and assists and blocks once. Goodwin is ranked in sixth different categories in the BIG EAST. She is fourth in 3-point field-goal percentage, 10th in 3-point field goals made and minutes played (33.67), 14th in defensive rebounds (5.11), 16th in rebounding and 29th in scoring. Goodwin has already earned accolades this season by being named to Brown Classic All-Tournament and San Juan Shootout All-Tournament teams.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS

The RV/23 Pittsburgh Panthers (13-3, 1-2 BIG EAST) lost at home against St. John’s 76-69 on Jan. 13. Junior center Marcedes Walker had team highs of 22 points and 11 rebounds to notch her fifth double-double of the season - the 27th of her career. Walker also had six steals. Sophomore guard Shavonte Zellous added 14 points while sophomore guard Xenia Stewart had 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists. The game saw nine lead changes and six ties in the first half. Pitt trailed 41-37 at the break, and rallied from an 11-point second half deficit to tie it 61-61 with 6:15 left in the contest. STJ hit its free throws down the stretch, going 21-of-28 for the game, and shooting 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from 3-point land. Pitt shot just 42.4 percent from the field (28-of-66), went 2-of-10 from 3-point range, and hit just 11-of-20 free throws (55.0 percent).

Shavonte Zellous leads the way for the Panthers with 19.8 points and 6.2 rebounds. Marcedes Walker has added 15.3 points and a team-best 8.6 rebounds. Xenia Stewart has contributed 11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and a team-high 1.6 steals per game. Jania Sims is averaging 6.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and a team-best 4.2 assists. Danielle Taylor has donated 5.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game for the Panthers.

Agnus Berenato (54-49) is in his fourth season as head coach of the Panthers women’s basketball team. The Panthers are ranked No. 23 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll and are receiving votes in the Associated Press Poll. The Panthers were off to the best start in school history at 13-3. Pitt earned its first BIG EAST win of the season, a 91-87 overtime home decision over No. 17/16 Marquette on Jan. 9. Sophomore guard Shavonte Zellous had 27 points and 10 rebounds, leading two other players in double figures. The Panthers beat a ranked team for the first time under fourth-year coach Agnus Berenato. The last time Pitt had three 20-point scorers was Dec. 6, 1988 in a 110-82 win over Kent State.

THE SYRACUSE-PITTSBURGH SERIES

Syracuse owns the series lead versus the Panthers, 27-16. Pittsburgh won the last meeting (63-57) contested in Syracuse on Jan. 16, 2005. The Orange won 12 of the first 13 series meetings with Pittsburgh including an 88-67 win at the Carrier Dome on Feb., 18, 1984, Pittsburgh’s first and only game at the Dome. SU is 16-5 all-time versus the Panthers in Syracuse. Last season, the Panthers claimed a 67-55 win at the Peterson Events Center on Dec. 8, 2005. Only three players have scored more than 20 points in the series history. Pittsburgh’s Lorri Johnson scored a series-best 39 points in a 79-72 SU win on Jan. 11, 1989. Syracuse’s Thandeka Masimini scored a SU-high 31 in a 71-60 Orange victory on Feb. 14, 1996.

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