SU Heads South to the Sunsplash Shootout
12/19/2010 7:09:47 PM | Women's Basketball
| Game Eight | ||
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vs. |   |
| 8-0 overall, 0-0 BIG EAST | ||
| Game Info | Tuesday, December 21 | 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, December 22 | 8:15 p.m. |
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| Location | Nassau, Bahamas | Kendall Issacs Gym | |
| Follow | Orange All Access | Live Stats | |
| Listen | Orange All Access | ESPN 97.7 FM | |
| Game Information | Syracuse Game Notes | Baylor Game Notes | Clemson Game Notes | |
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - 24/rv Syracuse (8-0) hits the road to face 2/3 Baylor (10-1) and Clemson (6-4) in the Bahamas Sunshine Shootout. The Orange matches up against the Bears on Dec. 21 and faces the Tigers on Dec. 22, both at 8:15 p.m. Entering Sunsplash Shootout action, SU is 8-0 for the second consecutive season and has won 28 straight regular-season non-conference games dating back to Nov. 26, 2008.
The Bahamas Sunshine Shootout action can be heard live on SU's flagship station ESPN 97.7 FM/1200 AM with Brian Higgins '04 on the call. Live audio for every Orange road game is available on SUAthletics.com via Orange All Access. Live statistics are also available on SUAthletics.com. Fans can also visit Orange All Access via SUAthletics.com throughout the week for video updates on the team's trip.
Bahamas Sunshine Shootout
The Orange has competed in at least one preseason tournament every year during coach Hillsman's tenure. SU is 9-3 in its last six tournaments, including championships in the 2006 Brown Classic, 2007 Warhawk Classic and the 2009 Cancun Thanksgiving Classic. Syracuse went 1-1 in its other three tournaments.
Last Time Out
Senior guard Erica Morrow netted a game-best 27 points to lead then -/rv Syracuse to a 75-66 win against 6/6 Ohio State on Dec. 11 at the Carrier Dome.
Morrow was 10-of-18 from the floor including a season-best four three pointers. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native also led the squad with four assists while adding five rebounds. Junior forward Iasia Hemingway was second on the team with 12 points and a squad-best eight rebounds while sophomore forward Carmen Tyson-Thomas added nine points and seven boards.
Sophomore center Kayla Alexander and redshirt freshman Shakeya Leary controlled the paint for the Orange, helping the squad to a +10.0 rebounding margin (43-33) on the day. Alexander netted six points and pulled in seven rebounds while Leary paired six points with six boards.
Beating the Best
With the upset of 6/6 Ohio State, Syracuse has now defeated a top-25 in each of the last four seasons. The Orange defeated 14/13 West Virginia, 73-51, on March 3, 2008, 17/16 Rutgers, 68-54, on Jan. 6, 2009 and 8/7 West Virginia, 67-48, on March 1, 2010.
People Take Notice
Syracuse is ranked 24th nationally according to this week's Associated Press poll. It marks the first time since Feb. 8, 2008 that the squad has been ranked among the AP Top 25.
The national recognition comes after Syracuse upset No. 6 Ohio State, 75-66, at the Carrier Dome on Dec. 11. Morrow led the Orange with a game-best 27 points in the win, which was the first against an opponent ranked No. 6 or higher since Jan. 2, 1996 when SU defeated then No. 2 Connecticut, 62-59, at Manley Field House.
Morrow earned BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll recognition for her performances in SU's 2-0 week. It is the first weekly mention of the season and the third career BIG EAST Honor Roll nod for Morrow, who was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention squad prior to the season.
The Brooklyn, N.Y. native averaged 19.0 points per game in SU's wins against Albany and Ohio State, shooting 51.9 percent from the floor, 4.0 rebounds per game and 2.5 assists per game.
Scouting Baylor
2/3 Baylor (10-1) is led by sophomore post Brittney Griner's 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.5 blocks per game. Freshman guard Odyssey Sims follows with 11.5 points while senior guard Melissa Jones averages 10.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Baylor plays Clemson a day prior to facing the Orange.
Under head coach Kim Mulkey, Baylor is 63-2 (.969) during the month of December, including a 23-2 (.920) record away from the Ferrell Center during that period. Baylor is 124-9 (.932) in regular season non-conference games under Mulkey. The Lady Bears are now 64-56 against ranked opponents under Mulkey.
Syracuse is Baylor's fourth ranked opponent of the season (1/1 UConn, 25/22 Michigan State, 16/16 Notre Dame and 6/7 Tennessee), marking a program-best. Prior to this year, BU had only played a program-best three ranked opponents during its regular-season non-conference slate (2006-07 and 2009-10).
Sophomore post Brittney Griner became the program's all-time shot blocker against Texas Southern, passing Danielle Wilson's 249 rejections. Griner now has 284 career blocks which ranks third on the Big 12's all-time list (Texas Tech's Cisti Greenwalt is second with 300).
Baylor has held its opponents to a 30.5 percent (207-679) shooting while shooting 48.8 percent (332-681). Baylor hasn't allowed an opponent to shoot 50 percent in 148-straight games, dating back to March 25, 2006 against Maryland.
On the season, Jones (11-22, .500), Sims (19-41, .463) and freshman guard Makenzie Robertson (11-26, .435), are a combined 41-89 (.461) from three-point range. Over the past eight games the trio is 35-of-67 (.522) from beyond the arc.
Baylor's starting lineup consists of a freshman (Odyssey Sims), three sophomores (Brittney Griner, Kimetria Hayden, Brooklyn Pope) and a senior (Melissa Jones).
Scouting Clemson
Clemson (6-4) will travel to the Bahamas after hosting Oakland on Sat., Dec. 18. The Lady Tigers also play Baylor before taking on the Orange on Wed., Dec. 22.
The Lady Tigers are led by senior wing Sthefany Thomas' 13.0 points per game. Kristyn Wright is next with 12.0 points per contest and junior center Shaniqua Pauldo has added 10.6 points per game.
Head Coach Itoro Coleman is in her first season as a head coach. The 2000 graduate of Clemson was most recently at Penn State.
Clemson is shooting 36.0 percent (59-164) from behind the three-point line, while holding the opposition to just 29.8 percent (99-157).
Series Notes
Both games against 2/3 Baylor and Clemson will mark SU's first meeting with either institution on the hardwood.
Up Next
Syracuse returns to the friendly confines of the Carrier Dome for a three-game series over the course of five days beginning with St. Francis (Pa.) on Dec. 28 at 2 p.m.
