Welcome To The Dome: The Orange Hosts Lady Lions On Thursday
12/5/2007 3:47:13 PM | Women's Basketball
After a championship weekend in which the Orange defeated Eastern Kentucky 88-67 and Louisiana Monroe 69-56 to capture the Taco Bell Warhawk Classic crown, SU will look to make it five-in-a-row when it takes on Penn State Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.
The game can be heard live on WTLA 1200/1440 AM and on suathletics.com via Orange All Access. The voice of the SU women's team, Brian Higgins, will have the call. The contest can also be heard on WJPZ 89.1 FM and live video of the game will be available via Orange All Access.
The Orange exploded on the offensive side of the ball over the weekend, shooting 48.7 percent from the field and averaging 78.5 points per game at the Warhawk Classic. The Orange scorched the nets in the first half in both games, shooting the ball at a 57.7 percent clip. Syracuse’s 55 first-half points against Eastern Kentucky were the most the team has scored in the first half since tallying 59 at West Virginia during the 2000-01 campaign.
Junior guard Chandrea Jones was named tournament MVP, averaging 21.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Against Eastern Kentucky, the Baltimore, Md. native scored a personal-best 27 points and added a career-high 11 free throws.
On the defensive end, SU looked equally impressive, as Eastern Kentucky shot only 33.3 percent from the field, while Louisiana Monroe was held to 38.9 percent. The Orange also averaged 5.0 blocks in the two contests and currently ranks third in the BIG EAST in that category.
After allowing 97 points against North Carolina, the Orange defense has greatly improved. Over its last four games, SU has allowed only 50.8 points per game and has held each opponent under 40.0 percent shooting.
Through six games this season, the Orange has also been a rebounding force, leading its opponents 286 to 220 on the glass. Syracuse’s 47.7 rebounds per game ranks second in the BIG EAST, while the Orange lead the conference with 19.2 offensive boards per game. Against Colgate, the Orange grabbed a season-high 59 rebounds and was plus 26 on the glass. When Syracuse outrebounds its opponent, the team is a perfect 5-0 on the season.
Thursday’s matchup with Penn State is the 18th meeting between the Orange and the Lady Lions. The two teams played each other for 16 consecutive years between the 1978-79 and 1993-94 seasons and Penn State holds a 16-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Orange’s lone win came during the 1988-89 season in an 82-76 overtime triumph at Manley Field House. Last season, Syracuse lost to the Lady Lions, 71-46, at Happy Valley.
Penn State is 6-2 on the season and are coming off an 86-84 win against No. 11/10 Duke on Dec. 2. Brianne O’Rourke led the team with a career-high 23 points and added eight assists, including one that led to the game-winning layup.
On the season, Tyra Grant leads the Lady Lions with 15.4 points per game. The 5-11 sophomore tallied 19 points in a win against then-No. 20 Pittsburgh and posted 17 points and four assists against South Carolina. Senior guard Kamel Gissendanner averages 12.4 points and pulls down a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game for Penn State. The Clairton, Pa. native scored 10 points and added 13 rebounds versus South Carolina.
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