Syracuse University
Brown University
Orange Completes Perfect Non-Conference Slate
1/10/2010 9:44:36 PM | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Coach Hillsman Quotes | Player Postgame Quotes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse women's basketball team (14-1) continued to make history on Sunday evening when it defeated Brown (3-11), 85-40, to conclude a perfect 13-0 nonconference slate and move to 14-1 for the first time in its 39-year history. Senior forward Nicole Michael set an individual record as her 19 points surpassed the 1,500 point career mark. Her 1,505 career points is 21 shy of second place (Felisha Legette, 1,526), while her 842 career rebounds is one away from third in the SU record book (Tonya Hendrix, 843).
Three other Orange women scored in double figures, including freshman center Kayla Alexander, who reached double-digits for the fourth consecutive game with 12 points, while pulling down a team-high tying eight rebounds. Senior forwards Juanita Ward and Vionca Murray recorded 13 and 11 points, respectively. Freshman guard Tyler Ash matched Alexander's eight rebounds.
The Orange dominated the Bears in all scoring categories, including a 34-16 advantage in points in the paint and 19-4 edge in fast break points. SU also held scored 37 points off 28 Brown turnovers.
The Bears were the first to score with a field goal at 19:38, but Michael hit her first two 3-pointers to open up the scoring for Syracuse as she and Alexander accounted for SU's first 19 points. Sarah Delk hit a jumper to pull Brown within one, 8-7, with 15:46 remaining in the half, but the Orange held the Bears scoreless till the 6:36 mark when the scoreboard read 21-9. The Orange doubled the Brown's scoring, 26-13, when Michael hit her fourth 3-ball with less than four minutes remaining, which ignited a 9-0 run to end the half and settle the 32-13 score going into the locker room.
The Orange continued to build its lead with a Michael layup to begin a 14-5 run to start the second half. Freshman guard Carmen Tyson-Thomas made a 3-pointer to give SU a commanding 51-22 lead with 14:20 remaining and hit her second of the night minutes later to increase the separation, 58-27, with 11:34 left in the game. The defense turned up the heat with the help of Ward, who made two back-to-back steals resulting in layups for the 62-27 lead with 10:47 remaining. A Tyson-Thomas block helped Syracuse keep control throughout the remainder of the game, which ended with consecutive 3-balls by junior forward Lynnise Nixon and Ash for the final 85-40 score.
Syracuse will resume BIG EAST play when it hosts Rutgers on Wednesday, January 13 at the Carrier Dome at 7 p.m.
