Saturday, January 2
Carrier Dome
5 p.m.
Syracuse University
81
vs
83
Georgetown University
Nicole Michael recorded her 25th career double-double Saturday against Georgetown.
Georgetown Ends Syracuse's Winning Streak In Overtime, 83-81
1/2/2010 7:49:07 PM | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Hillsman Postgame Quotes | Player Postgame Quotes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Georgetown's Sugar Rodgers hit a runner with 20 seconds left in overtime to give Georgetown (12-2, 1-0) an 83-81 victory against Syracuse (12-1, 0-1) in the BIG EAST Conference opener for both teams Saturday, Jan. 2 at the Carrier Dome. The loss ended Syracuse's 12-game season-opening winning streak and knocked the Orange from the ranks of the unbeaten.
Following Rodgers' basket, Syracuse junior Erica Morrow had a chance to win it for the hosts in the final seconds, but her 3-point attempt with five ticks left in the extra session was off the mark and Georgetown's Jaleesa Butler secured the rebound as time ran out.
The Orange trailed for most of the game, but kept battling to force overtime. Syracuse rallied from a 10-point deficit with just under 11 minutes to go to tie the game at 67-67 with 4:02 left in regulation. The Orange found itself down again, 72-68, with 1:51 remaining and trailed, 75-72, with 23 seconds left after two free throws by Georgetown's Monica McNutt.
Following McNutt's free throws, the Orange brought the ball up the floor and head coach Quentin Hillsman called timeout with five seconds to play. On the restart, the ball ended up in the hands of senior Nicole Michael and she was fouled on a 3-point attempt with two seconds to go by Georgetown's Adria Crawford. Michael calmly sank all three charity shots to tie the game at 75-75 and force the extra session.
In overtime, a free throw by senior Juanita Ward gave Syracuse a 78-77 lead with 3:34 to play, the team's first advantage since the score was 5-4 Syracuse early in the first half. Another Ward free throw at the 2:51 mark pushed the Orange margin to 79-77. However, the Hoyas outscored Syracuse, 6-2, down the stretch, including Rodgers' game-winner that snapped an 81-81 deadlock to hand the Orange its first loss.
Ward paced the Orange with a season-best 17 points and 13 rebounds. Michael recorded the 25th double-double of her career with 16 points and 11 boards, tying Holly Oslander and Shannon Perry for third on SU's all-time double-doubles list. Michael was 4-for-12 in the game, including three 3-pointers. She passed Julie McBride and now ranks fifth on the program's career field goals made ledger with 516. SU freshman Kayla Alexander also chipped in 17 points to tie Ward for team-high scoring honors.
McNutt led the Hoyas with 23 points and she was 11-for-11 from the free-throw line. All four of her field goals were 3-pointers. Rodgers had 20 points in the contest, and Tia McBride contributed 12.
The Hoyas made 27 of their 29 free-throw attempts (93.1 pct.) Saturday, including 18-of-19 in the second half and overtime. They also forced 33 Orange turnovers that resulted in 31 points.
Georgetown held an early 8-5 advantage as Rodgers and Butler combined to score the Hoyas' first eight points. Overall, Rodgers tallied nine of Georgetown's opening 16 points as the visitors claimed a 16-10 advantage with 13:12 left in the first half.
Michael kept the Orange close, scoring eight of her team's first 12 points, and Syracuse pulled to within one, 21-20, with 7:20 remaining in the first half on back-to-back buckets by Alexander.
The Hoyas pushed its advantage to seven, 32-25, over the next four minutes. Georgetown hit three 3-pointers in the stretch, including a pair by McNutt. However, the Orange remained within striking distance, and four straight points by sophomore Lynnae Lampkins made the score 34-31 Georgetown.
Lampkins' triple with 2:52 left in the opening period was the Orange's last basket of the half. The Hoyas ended the first period with five straight points, including four in a row by Crawford, to secure a 39-31 advantage at the break.
Syracuse tallied seven of the first nine points in the second half to pull within three, 41-38, but McNutt and McBride teamed up to lead Georgetown on a 10-2 run that pushed its advantage to 58-48 with 10:58 left.
Facing its largest deficit of the season, the Orange rattled off the game's next seven points and eventually cut the lead to one, 63-62, at the 5:10 mark on a Ward basket before tying it at 67-67 on a 3-pointer by Michael with 4:02 showing on the clock.
Michael's basket set the stage for the game's exciting conclusion.
Saturday's victory was Georgetown's third straight against the Orange after defeating Syracuse twice last season.
Syracuse returns to action on Tuesday, Jan. 5 when it faces its first conference road test of the year at Seton Hall. Game time is 7 p.m. at Walsh Gym.
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