Orange Dealt Tough Hand by the Cards

Tuesday, February 3

Louisville, Ky.

7 p.m.

Syracuse University

No. 5/10 Louisville

Senior guard Chandrea Jones registered her seventh double-double of the season, leading the Orange with 18 points and 10 rebounds at Louisville on Tuesday night.

2/3/2009 9:18:58 AM | Women's Basketball

No. 5/10 Louisville 78, Syracuse 57

LOUISVILLE, KY. – Despite senior guard Chandrea Jones' seventh double-double of the year, the Orange could not hold off No. 5/10 Louisville's potent attack on both ends of the floor as the Orange suffered a 78-57 defeat at Freedom Hall on Tuesday night.

Jones led the Orange in both scoring and rebounding with 18 and 10, respectively, while junior forward #Nicole Michael and sophomore guard Erica Morrow# represented Syracuse's other two double-digit perpetrators. Michael tallied 14 points with six boards and a block whereas Morrow accounted for 12 points and tied a career-best with six steals for the third time in her return after sitting the last game out. Morrow also handed out a team-high three assists.

The Orange started off hot from the field, but in the end, Louisville's penetration in the paint with 40 points to SU's 26 boosted its rate from the floor, finishing with a clip of 46.8 percent (29-62). Syracuse shot 34.9 percent (22-63).

Syracuse actually outscored the Cards in second chance and fast break points, 17-12 and 10-9, in the order, but Louisville's 37-point kick from the bench had a hand in the Cardinals' sound victory.

Junior forward #Juanita Ward# made a steal in the open court and finished off the play for SU's largest of four, 22-18, with 7:10 to go in the first half, but back-to-back 3-pointers by Becky Burke elicited a 22-7 run for Louisville to close out the first session with a 16-point safeguard for UofL, 44-28.

Syracuse's defense did a sound job snuffing out Louisville's potent offense in the opening moments, but in the last seven minutes of the half, Louisville spouted off for 10-of-15 from the floor before going 6-for-17 in the prior eight minutes. The Orange converted at a 35.3 percent clip (12-34) in the opening session.

Morrow made a splash on the first shot of the game, draining a long-range two, but after the Orange's first bucket, both teams struggled to find the iron in the first five minutes. Syracuse went 2-of-5 from the field while the Cardinals shot 2-of-6. UofL held onto a slight 6-5 lead after the five minutes of the first half unfolded.

The defense continued to dominate the tide of the contest, but Morrow offered up the game's first 3-ball after the first timeout, sparking a back-and-forth scoring affair, knotting the game at 12-12 with 11:57 to go in the first half.

The Orange pushed its lead out to three points twice in the next four minutes of action, but Angel McCoughtry and Deseree' Byrd teamed up to take back the edge, 18-17. Jones' seventh point by way of a trey snatched back the lead, 20-18, with 7:44 to go, marking the eighth lead change in the game.

The Orange struck first after the break and managed to shear six points off UofL's lead, 45-35, but consecutive conversions from Louisville put the Cards back comfortably ahead, 50-35, with 16:23 to play.

Each squad traded four successful trips down the court, brining the count to 58-43 under the 12:00 minute mark. Michael scored six of SU's eight points in the stretch while UofL' Deseree' Byrd accounted for five.

Michael was able to slice the UofL's advantage to 13, 62-49, with 8:03 to play after the Cardinals nudged their lead out to 17 twice. Unfortunately for the Orange, Louisville was too strong in the final push.

Syracuse was doubled up, 16-8, in the final eight minutes of action, as five different Cardinals attacked for points. The Orange made only 2-of-10 attempts in the last leg of play. Despite going 3-for-5 from the line in the final eight minutes, Syracuse never staged any momentum to subdue the Cardinals in the 78-57 loss.

Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome on Sunday, Feb. 8 to host South Florida at 4 pm.