Syracuse Stays Perfect at the Dome: 'Cuse Clips 'Cats in 67-62 Thriller

Sunday, December 21

Carrier Dome

4 p.m.

Syracuse University

Ohio

Junior forward Nicole Michael willed the Orange to victory, tallying a season-high 23 points in the 67-62 victory against Ohio.

Syracuse Stays Perfect at the Dome: 'Cuse Clips 'Cats in 67-62 Thriller

12/21/2008 6:17:02 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score | Coach Hillsman Postgame Quotes |
Student-Athlete Quotes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – In a bout that featured six lead changes and eight ties, the Orange remained perfect at home with a gripping 67-62 victory against the Ohio Bobcats on Sunday afternoon at the Carrier Dome. The Orange improved to 9-2, whle the Bobcats moved to 4-6.

Junior forward Nicole Michael led the way for Syracuse, scoring a season-high 23 points behind 9-of-18 from the field. Sophomore guard Erica Morrow accounted for 19 points, extending her streak of scoring at least 15 points to four games. Defensively, Morrow tied a career-high by recording six steals. Senior Chandrea Jones grabbed a game-high 11 boards and tallied six points. Jones also matched a career-best with five swipes. Sophomore guard Tasha Harris scored six points and logged a team-best five assists while junior forward Juanita Ward put together six points and six rebounds. Sophomore guard Marisa Gobuty earned her first start of the season and drained her third 3-pointer of the season.

The Syracuse defense pressured Ohio into 31 turnovers, matching a season-best from its last outing against Niagara. The Orange took 29 points off the Bobcats’ errors and dominated down low, putting back 20 second chance points to Ohio’s 10.

Despite having a tough go from the field (28.4 percent), the Orange took advantage of its free throw opportunities, putting down a season best 22-of-24 (91.7 percent) to aid in Syracuse’s fifth consecutive victory. Syracuse almost doubled up the Bobcats in the steals category, posting 17 to Ohio’s nine.

Ohio obtained the early edge, 6-4, after four minutes had elapsed, but Syracuse scrapped back to draw even, 11-11, just past the 11:39 mark with the run highlight by a Gobuty 3-pointer.

Syracuse tallied nine of its first 11 points off of Bobcats’ turnovers.

The two teams battled it out for the next five minutes to a 19-18 count, featuring three ties and three lead changes over the course of an 8-7 stretch in favor of Ohio. Morrow accounted for five Orange points, including three converted free throws while Michael made one field goal.

The Bobcats came out of the huddle with Jennifer Bushby eliciting the next five points for Ohio, setting the score at 24-18. Michael claimed a bucket of her own, but Bushby subdued Syracuse with two fast-break lay-ups to put Ohio ahead eight, 28-20, just under the four minute mark.

On Syracuse’s next possession, Michael spotted up and dropped a bucket coupled with two free throws to cut Ohio’s lead to four, 28-24, but Lauren Hmiel padded the Bobcats’ advantage to seven with a late lay-in close out the half, 31-24.

Syracuse tossed in a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line in the first 20 minutes. Ohio crashed the boards hard on the defensive end with 22, keeping Syracuse’s possessions to a minimum. Syracuse was outrebounded 28-17, as a whole, in the first half.

Ohio came out of the break undaunted ripping off six consecutive points for a 13-point lead, 37-24, compelling head coach Quentin Hillsman to hail for a timeout with 17:54 remaining in the game.

Following the break, the Orange whittled Ohio’s lead to 10, 39-29, after Harris slashed through and fended off three Bobcats for the three-point play at the 16:00 minute mark.

Over the course of the next five minutes, the Orange willed its way back into the contest. Morrow kick started Syracuse with her first 3-pointer of the game, triggering Syracuse’s aggressiveness. The Orange came away with three consecutive baskets in the paint, battling through heavy Ohio traffic to creep within six, 47-41.

The Bobcats retained the momentum on an 8-4 run in the next three minutes, but Syracuse’s assertive play in its offensive zone paid off as the game unfolded. Michael and Ward found their way to the line and converted both of their free tosses, sparking a 10-2 run in favor of the Orange to tie the game, 57-57, with less than four minutes to play.

With a minute and a half to go, Michael pulled down her eighth rebound, motored down the hardwood and busted through the lane for the lay-up and the free throw to keep the score even, 62-62. During the Orange’s next trip to their end, Morrow ripped away the board in a hoard of players and drew the foul. Morrow drained both tries with 41 ticks remaining for Syracuse’s first lead since the 8:19 mark of the first period, 64-62.

The Orange would not relinquish its valiant comeback as the Bobcats were forced to foul Syracuse in waning moments, which would eventually seal the final score, 67-62.

After wrapping up the five-game home spell, the Orange stays within state lines to combat St. Bonaventure after the Christmas break next Sunday, December 28 at 1 pm. On Tuesday, December 30, Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome to square off against Princeton at noon before BIG EAST play commences at Georgetown in 2009.