No. 22/24 Syracuse Returns to 20-Win Plateau, Bests BIG EAST foe Cincinnati, 66-56

Saturday, February 23

Carrier Dome

1 p.m.

Syracuse University

Cincinnati

Junior Chandrea Jones tallied her seventh double-double of the season with a game-high 18 points and 11 rebounds against Cincinnati on Saturday.

No. 22/24 Syracuse Returns to 20-Win Plateau, Bests BIG EAST foe Cincinnati, 66-56

2/23/2008 3:28:32 PM | Women's Basketball

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Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Junior forward Chandrea Jones’ seventh-career double-double led No. 22/24 Syracuse (20-6, 8-5) to a 66-56 win against BIG EAST foe Cincinnati (11-15, 2-12) at the Carrier Dome on Saturday. Jones tallied a game-high 18 points and totaled 11 rebounds as the Orange reaches the 20-win plateau for the first time since the 1987-88 season.

Jones powered an Orange offensive attack that boasted four scorers in double figures. Rookie shooting guard Erica Morrow flirted with a triple-double, collecting 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Senior forward Fantasia Goodwin posted 13 points on an efficient 6-for-9 shooting performance while corralling seven boards.

Sophomore forward Nicole Michael recorded 11 points, four rebounds and two helpers. Sophomore forward Vionca Murray collected eight points and three caroms in 18 minutes of action off the Orange bench. With the win, SU improves its record to 11-2 at the Carrier Dome this season, the most victories on its home floor since the squad captured 13 in 1987-88.

The Orange ends a brief two-game slide with a terrific defensive effort and scorching outside shooting showcase in the second half. The Bearcats struggled to find any rhythm on the offensive end, shooting just 7-for-26 overall and 0-for-6 from long-range. UC was held without a field goal in the second stanza until the 13:06 mark. The Orange forced the Bearcats into 24 turnovers for the game, cashing in on 28 points as a result.

Meanwhile, the Orange blitzed the Cincinnati zone defense with a 5-for-7 shooting performance from beyond the arc in the second stanza. Syracuse took command of a nine-point advantage at the 13:25 mark after a fast-break lay-in from Goodwin, off a nifty feed from senior Tracy Harbut, and two free throws from Jones.

However, Cincinnati scrapped and clawed its way back to within one possession on four separate occasions in the second frame. Guard Carla Jacobs’ lay-in with 9:26 remaining capped a 9-1 UC run and trimmed the Orange advantage to 48-47. Three minutes following, center Natasha Graboski drilled an 18-foot jumper, keeping the Bearcats within striking distance at 54-51.

Yet, Syracuse answered the bell and staged a 9-0 run over the next four minutes, grabbing a comfortable 63-51 cushion at the 2:26 mark. Michael ignited the run with a fast-break lay-in before Jones drained a triple from the baseline corner. The Orange’s lead ballooned to a game-high 13 points following Jones’ second three-point basket of the afternoon with 94 ticks left.

While Syracuse calmly tallied its eighth win against a BIG EAST opponent this season, SU had to overcome a 12-point deficit and 42.9 percent three-point shooting performance from the Bearcats in the first half. On the shoulders of two scoring runs, the Orange narrowed its disadvantage to just one possession at the intermission, 34-32. The Orange secured a short-lived edge, its first since the 17:51 mark, after Morrow sunk a free throw with 69 seconds remaining.

After Cincinnati sprinted to a 15-3 cushion behind the three-point barrage from guard Kahla Roudebush, Morrow keyed a 7-0 spurt with a mid-range jumper and lay-in with contact. Murray converted an old-fashion three-point play to ignite the run. Goodwin powered SU’s 8-2 stretch minutes later with a lay-in and left-hand jump-hook in the paint. Morrow capped the run with an offensive rebound and putback, forcing the Bearcats into a 30-second timeout. The Orange took command of the paint, out-scoring the visitors 28-12.

Senior forward Jill Stephens led the Cincinnati offense with her ninth double-double of the season on 10 points and 14 rebounds. Roudebush finished with a team-high 17 in the loss. The Bearcats suffered their 12^th setback in the last 13 outings.

Syracuse remains on the Carrier Dome hardwood against Georgetown on Tuesday, February 26 at 6:00 p.m. The Orange will look to avenge a 78-71 loss at the hands of the Hoyas on February 2.