Syracuse University
Rutgers University
Best Start Continues, Orange Rolls Rutgers
1/13/2010 10:02:32 PM | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Coach Hillsman Quotes | Player Postgame Quotes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The rv/25 Syracuse women's basketball team improved its record to 15-1 for the first time in its 39-year history with its 79-66 victory versus Rutgers on Wednesday evening in the Carrier Dome. It is the first time SU has beat Rutgers in back-to-back meetings (68-54 victory last season) in school. This season also marks the first time the Orange has defeated the Scarlet Knights in football, men's basketball and women's basketball since 2001-02, which was the first time it accomplished the feat.
Senior forward Nicole Michael led SU with 16 points and six rebounds to become Syracuse's third all-time rebounder with 838 career rebounds. Freshman center Kayla Alexander scored 13 points for her fifth consecutive double-digit game, while also pulling down eight rebounds and setting a career-high with five blocks. Senior forward Juanita Ward and junior guard Erica Morrow pitched in 10 points apiece, while sophomore guard Tyler Ash was one point shy of a double-double with nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds. All 10 Syracuse players to check into the game recorded at least two points.
Despite being outscored 40-20 in points in the paint, Syracuse kept itself in the game with its 46.7 (7-15) percent 3-point shooting, while holding Rutgers to just 10.5 (2-19) percent from behind the arc.
The first half was plagued with fouls by both teams, as Syracuse started out slow and scored its first four points off shots from the charity stripe. The Orange shrugged off its deficit and slowly crept up to the Scarlet Knights, 8-7, with a Michael 3-pointer at the 13:39 mark and took the lead once and for all, 13-12, two minutes later. Syracuse found its stride and went on a 16-0 run sparked by a Morrow 3-ball to increase the separation, 29-14, and kept the double-digit lead for four minutes until Khadijah Rushdan cut the lead to nine, 34-25, with 2:36 left till the half. Rutgers closed out the half on a 6-2 run to settle the 38-31 score going into the locker room.
Rutgers pulled within three to open the second half before senior forward Vionca Murray made the first Orange basket to make the score 40-35 less than two minutes into the second half. Brittany Ray narrowed the Rutgers' deficit to one, 42-41, with 16:07 left on the scoreboard, but sophomore guard Lynnae Lampkins stayed in tune with Syracuse's hot 3-point shooting to increase the lead to nine, 53-44, with 10:38 remaining in the game. Chelsey Lee brought it within five, but Michael was fouled on the ensuing drive to make it a 3-point play, while Murray added two buckets from the foul line to give Syracuse the double-digit lead, 60-50, with 7:16 left. The two teams fought a physical battle resulting in seven fouls called in three minutes, but the Orange kept the lead, 70-60, with less than three minutes remaining. Rutgers attempted to fight back, but could not come closer than six before settling with the 79-66 final score.
The Scarlet Knights were led by four scorers in double-figures, including Rashidat Junaid (16), Myia McCurdy (14), Brittany Ray (12), and Khadijah Rushdan (10).
Syracuse will travel to play the South Florida Bulls in its first of a three-game road test on Saturday, January 16 at 4:30 p.m.
