SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The No. 21/23 Syracuse women’s basketball team (19-4, 7-3) welcomes BIG EAST foe No. 16/16 Notre Dame (19-5, 7-3) to the Carrier Dome on Saturday, February 16 at 7:00 p.m. The Orange, returning home following an 81-72 triumph at Seton Hall on February 13, is in search of its third 20-win season in program history, including its first since the 1987-88 campaign.
In conjunction with the Orange men's basketball game against BIG EAST rival Georgetown at 12:00 p.m., tickets for both of Saturday's games may be purchased on-line (click here), over the phone (1-888-DOMETIX), or in person at the Carrier Dome Box Office during normal business hours. Fans who attend the men's game in the afternoon can receive half priced admission to the women's game by showing their ticket stub. Fans can enter the Carrier Dome for the women's game through Gates A, B or C.
The Orange faithful can follow the action on WTLA 1200/1440 AM and
suathletics.com via Orange All Access with
Brian Higgins ’04 providing the play-by-play. WJPZ 89.1 FM will also broadcast the contest. Live video and stats of the BIG EAST clash are available by clicking here.
Syracuse entertains the Fighting Irish as winners of 10 games in 11 tries at the Loud House this season. In the last three games at home, the Orange has played in front of the Carrier Dome’s largest, third-largest and eighth-largest women’s basketball crowds. Against No. 1/1 Connecticut on January 15, a program-record 4,221 fans supported the Orange’s upset bid of the Huskies.
Saturday’s meeting with Notre Dame marks Syracuse’s second encounter with a ranked opponent as a ranked team. Behind a career-best 17 points from sophomore
Vionca Murray, the Orange bested No. 23/24 DePaul, 69-66, on January 29.
Freshman guard
Erica Morrow, the reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Week, powered the Syracuse offensive attack with a team-high 23 points on 5-for-10 shooting overall against the Pirates. The sharp-shooting rookie keyed a critical stretch in the first half with three three-point field goals in as many possessions. The Orange overcame nearly eight minutes of scoreless basketball following the tip with two scoring spurts of 9-0 and 11-0 en route to a 30-28 edge at the intermission.
The SU offense erupted for 51 points in the second stanza, matching a season-high output against BIG EAST opponents this season. The Orange rode Morrow’s hot hand to an 11-point advantage at the 10:31 mark after two trifectas in back-to-back offensive trips.
Senior forward
Fantasia Goodwin ignited an 8-2 run in the second half, supplying the visitors with a game-best 16-point cushion, 69-53, at the 4:21 mark. Goodwin totaled 20 points and grabbed five rebounds.
Through 23 games, junior forward
Chandrea Jones leads four Orange scorers in double figures with 15.9 points per contest. Goodwin has charged the Syracuse effort on the glass, posting a club-leading 9.5 boards a game. Second-year head coach
Quentin Hillsman enjoys the luxury of a deep bench with 10 members of the Orange averaging double-digit minutes played per outing.
Senior Charel Allen has sparked the Notre Dame offense with a team-leading 13.8 points per game and five rebounds a contest. Junior Lindsay Schrader averages 10.7 points and a team-best 5.8 rebounds. Head coach Muffet McGraw is in her 21st season with the Fighting Irish.
