Syracuse University
West Virginia
Orange Ready for Final Road Test at WVU
2/27/2009 8:46:38 AM | Women's Basketball
Game Notes | Listen to the Game | Live Stats
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse women's basketball team (15-12, 4-10) looks to finish off its regular-season slate on the right foot before combating the league at the BIG EAST Championship on Friday, March 6. Syracuse ventures south for the final regular season road game on Saturday, February 28 at 2 p.m. against a West Virginia squad that has accrued an identical record as the Orange.
The game can be heard live on SUAthletics.com via Orange All Access, WTLA AM 1200 and WJPZ FM 89. Live stats will be available on msnsports.com.
Mountaineers Mêlée
West Virginia started off its season with promise as the Mountaineers jutted out to a 10-2 record before taking a tumble in BIG EAST action. West Virginia has gone 4-10 in the league with a marquee win at Freedom Hall against Louisville on Feb. 7, 79-70. WVU has also earned conference wins against St. John's, Providence and South Florida.
Sophomore guard Liz Repella represents WVU's all-around threat as she leads the Mountaineers with 16.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Senior guard Ashley Powell has doled out a club-best 5.1 assists per game while sophomore guard Sarah Miles records 2.2 steals per outing.
The Mountaineers hold a narrow margin in the overall series, 10-8. Syracuse is 3-5 in Morgantown, but the Orange throttled WVU at the Carrier Dome last season, 73-51. Prior to last season's win, West Virginia won the last six matchups.
Last Time against West Virginia
Behind a then career-high 25 points by Erica Morrow and 22 points by Chandrea Jones the Orange knocked off No. 14/13 West Virginia, 73-51, at the Carrier Dome. Morrow used 5-of-11 shooting from 3-point range and finished with six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Jones was 5-of-13 from the floor and converted 12-of-12 free throws along with a game-high nine rebounds, three assists and three steals.
The Orange shot 36.4 percent (20-55) from the floor, 50.0 percent (8-16) from behind the arc and 86.2 percent (25-29) from the charity stripe. As a defensive unit, SU forced 25 turnovers and limited WVU to only 31.6 percent (18-57) from the field. The Mountaineers finished with a 33.3 percent (8-24) mark from 3-point range and 58.3 percentage (7-12) from the freebee line. Syracuse also outrebounded WVU, 41-37.
The defense held the Mountaineers to 11.1 percent (2-18) shooting from the floor during the first 10:57 allowing the Orange to jump out to a 20-4 lead. West Virginia was only able to string five straight points from 5:44 to 4:21 to pull with 13 after a 3-pointer Meg Bulger. Fantasia Goodwin increased SU's lead to 15 (30-15) by converting on a three-point play with 55 seconds remaining, but a trey by WVU senior guard Laquita Owens sent the game into the break at 31-18.
The second half started with a run-and-gun pace with both teams combining for 33 points during the first 7:11 of play. Two straight 3-pointers by WVU closed the 18-point halftime deficit to eight (45-37) at the 12:49 mark, but three free throws and a fast-break lay-in by Jones put the Orange up 13 (50-37) at 11:55.
A lights-out three by Morrow at 4:38 put the Orange up 65-43, which was part of a 27-11 run that gave the Orange its largest lead of the game of 24 points (72-48) with 1:56 remaining.
Jones Getting the Job Done
Senior guard Chandrea Jones recorded her team-best 10th double-double of the season by way of 16 points and 11 rebounds at No. 23/22 Notre Dame on Feb. 24. Jones was 8-of-9 (.889) from the foul line in her 34 minutes of play.
Jones has tallied a double-double in six of the last nine games. Her 10 double-doubles rank tied for sixth on SU's single-season list and are the most a SU player has registered since Holly Oslander also had 10 during the 1990-91 season. The Baltimore native's 18 career double-doubles rank ninth all-time at Syracuse.
She has scored in double-figures a team-high 24 times, including the last 10, and has led SU in scoring seven times. Jones has also led SU in rebounding a team-best 13 times. She has led the team in steals 11 times, blocks on eight occasions and assists three times.
I Wanna Be Like Mike
Junior forward Nicole Michael accounted for 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one steal in 27 minutes of action at No. 23/22 Notre Dame on Feb. 24.
Michael is just the fifth player in SU history to record 1,200+ points and 650+ rebounds. Michael has amassed 1,206 points in 84 career games to rank 10th on Syracuse's all-time scoring chart. Her 674 rebounds are eighth on SU's all-time chart.
The junior is averaging 14.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest. Michael has made 46.4 percent (123-265) of her attempts. The junior has 19 double-figure games (including 14 of her last 15), 11 15+ point games and five 20+ point games. She has led SU in scoring five times, rebounding nine times, steals five times and blocks on 12 occasions.
Her 16 career 20+ point games are the most ever in SU history and her 20 career double-doubles rank seventh all-time at SU.
Double Trouble
Syracuse has had at least one player record a double-double in each of the last six games. Before Jones' 10th double-double, Michael hit the mark against Georgetown with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Before the game against Georgetown, Jones had 17 points and 10 rebounds versus DePaul. Michael tallied 23 points and 12 rebounds at St. Johns. Both Michael (27 pts., 13 rebs.) and Jones (21 pts, 11 rebs.) had double-doubles against South Florida. Jones started the streak with 18 points and 10 rebounds at Louisville on Feb. 3.
