Orange To Vegas For 'Duel In The Desert'

Syracuse at "Duel In The Desert"
Duel In The Desert Info	Dec. 18-20 \| Cox Pavilion \| Las Vegas, Nev. Tournament Home Page
Game Coverage	TV: None Radio: ESPN 97.7FM/1200 AM, WJPZ 89.1 FM Orange All Access: Audio Twitter: @suorangeempire
Live Stats Links	Sunday vs. Xavier (3 p.m. ET) Monday vs. Oklahoma (5:30 p.m. ET) Tuesday vs. Ohio (3 p.m. ET)
Syracuse Links	Game Notes \| Roster \| Schedule

• The Syracuse Orange women's basketball team (7-3, 0-1 BIG EAST) travels to Las Vegas for three games at the Duel In The Desert on Dec. 18-20 at UNLV's Cox Pavilion. The Orange will face Xavier on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET, RV Oklahoma on Monday at 5:30 p.m. ET, and conclude play on Tuesday against Ohio at 3 p.m. ET.
• All three contests can be heard live on SU's flagship station ESPN 97.7 FM/1200 AM with Brian Higgins '04 on the call. Fans can also listen to the game on Syracuse's student station, WJPZ 89.1 FM. Live audio for each game is available on SUAthletics.com via Orange All Access. Live statistics are also available on SUAthletics.com.

VIVA LAS VEGAS
• UNLV is hosting to two round-robin style women's basketball tournaments simultaneously on Dec. 18-20 at the Cox Pavilion (2,500). Syracuse is part of the four-team Duel In The Desert with all games beginning at noon and 2:30 p.m. PT. The Basketball Travelers Invitational features host UNLV, Northwestern, Kansas State and North Dakota State. Its games begin at 5 and 7:30 p.m. PT each day.
• This is the first time Syracuse women's basketball has ever played in Nevada, but is its second trip west in less than a month. The Orange played at Boise State on Nov. 29 before heading to Hawai'i for two games at the Hukilau Invitational on Dec. 2-3.

SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the first ever meeting between Syracuse and Xavier in women's basketball.
• It will also be the first time the Orange and Oklahoma have ever met in on the court.
• It will be the third meeting all-time between SU and Ohio with the Orange having won both previous games.
• The last game was played in Athens, Ohio on Dec. 6, 2009 with SU winning, 70-54. Erica Morrow led four double-figure scorers with 14. Then-freshman Kayla Alexander recorded 13 points in the win.
• The first game in the series was a 67-62 Orange victory ath the Carrier Dome on Dec. 21, 2008. Nicole Michael led all scorers with 23 points and Morrow added 19 in a game that had six lead changes and eight ties.

SCOUTING XAVIER
• The Musketeers are 3-5 on the season with wins over Eastern Kentucky, Cincinnati and Morehead State. They most recently dropped a 65-49 decision at home to Middle Tennessee State on Dec. 9.
• Xavier is coming off a 29-3 season last year in which it went 14-0 on its way to an Atlantic 10 title. It reached as high as No. 2 in the polls before falling to Louisville (85-75) in the NCAA second round.
• The Musketeers return just one starter from last season's squad and Amy Waugh is in her first season as head coach after Kevin McGuff took the Washington head job in the off-season.
• Senior guard Tyeasha Moss leads the team at 12.5 ppg.

SCOUTING OKLAHOMA
• The Sooners are 4-3 on the season. After starting the year 3-0 and reaching No. 12 in the polls, they have lost three out of four and dropped out of the top 25 this week.
• Most recently, Oklahoma snapped a three-game skid with a 72-50 win at home over Milwaukee on Dec. 11.
• The Sooners are coming off a 23-12 season in which they went 10-6 in the Big 12 (3rd). They return three starters from the team that advanced to the Sweet Sixteen before losing to Notre Dame (78-53).
• Aaryn Ellenberg leads the team in scoring at 20.3 ppg and is shooting 42 percent from 3-point range.
• Sherri Coale is in her 16th season as head coach and enters the weekend with 340 career wins.

SCOUTING OHIO
• The Bobcats are 5-5 entering the weekend. They have won two in a row after dropping four in a row.
• Ohio is coming off a 50-40 win at home over Niagara on Tuesday after beating San Francisco, 63-53 on Sunday.
• Ohio went 9-22 last season with a 4-12 MAC mark that placed it fifth in the conference.
• Tenishia Benson leads the Bobcats in scoring and rebounding at 12.8 ppg and 7.8 rpg.
• Semeka Randall is in her fifth season as head coach and comes into the weekend with a career record of 35-67.

NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER
• Syracuse posted a perfect record in November for the third consecutive year (6-0). The Orange is 23-3 (.885) in November since the 2007-08 campaign. SU's last loss in November was a 58-57 setback against Alaska Anchorage on Nov. 26, 2008.

DECEMBER'S EVEN BETTER
• The Orange has been almost unstoppable in the month of December in recent years. Since the 2007-08 season, SU is 29-4 in December games for an amazing .879 winning percentage.
• Between Dec. 30, 2006 and Dec. 11, 2010, Syracuse won 26 December games in a row under Quentin Hillsman. The final win of that streak was a 75-66 upset of No. 6 Ohio State before it ended with a 77-43 loss to No. 2 Baylor on Dec. 21, 2010.

DOMINATING THE GLASS
• Dominant rebounding has become the norm for the Orange in recent years. Syracuse leads the NCAA in rebounding, averaging 52.6 per game and ranks fifth in margin at +15.2 per game.
• In the BIG EAST, SU leads the conference in rebounds per game, offensive rebounds and rebounding margin this season. At 52.6 rebounds per game, SU is well ahead of second place West Virginia (45.3 rpg.). Syracuse is grabbing 24.5 offensive rebounds per game, over five more than second place West Virginia (19.3).
• SU has four of the top 20 rebounders in the BIG EAST (5. Kayla Alexander, 8.6; T12. Carmen Tyson-Thomas, 7.4; 16. Shakeya Leary, 7.2; and No. 18 Iasia Hemingway, 6.6).
• Syracuse led the NCAA in rebounding margin last season at +13.4 per game. SU outrebounded 31 of its 35 opponents.

ALEXANDER NETS 1,000TH POINT
• Junior Kayla Alexander scored a career-high 33 points against Binghamton on Nov. 26, giving her 1,008 points in her career. She becomes the 21st player in program history to score 1,000 points in her career and the first since Erica Morrow accomplished the feat in 2009-10.
• Alexander was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll for her performance in Syracuse's first three games of the season. She averaged 18.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in the three contests. Alexander posted a double-double in SU's win against Lafayette with 20 points and a season-high 17 rebounds.
• Alexander is the Orange's leading scorer (18.0 ppg.) and rebounder (8.6 rpg.) this season. She ranks third in the BIG EAST in scoring, fifth in rebounding and fourth in field goal percentage (.571).
• Alexander is fourth on Syracuse's career blocked shot list with 182. Chris Palombi (1981-84) ranks third with 217.
• Alexander is tied for fifth on SU's career free throws made list at 306 with Sue Ludwig (1984-88).

HEMINGWAY SPARKS ORANGE
• Senior Iasia Hemingway has reached double figures in scoring in eight of 10 games this season. She ranks second on the team in scoring (14.1 ppg) and averages 6.6 rebounds.
• Hemingway erupted for a career-high 30 points on on 11-of-16 shooting and 8-of-11 on free throws to go along with eight rebounds to lead the Orange to victory at Boise State on Nov. 29.
• Hemingway played the first two years of her career at Georgia Tech before transfering to SU. Sunday's game vs. Xavier will be the 100th start of her collegiate career and 42nd for the Orange.
• Hemingway ranks in the top 20 in the BIG EAST in scoring, rebounding and free throw percentage (.746).

TYSON-THOMAS MAKES IMPACT
• Junior Carmen Tyson-Thomas ranks third on the team in scoring (11.1 ppg.) and is second in rebounding (7.4 rpg.) this season.
• The versatile swing-player has set career-highs in scoring in twice this season. Tyson-Thomas scored a career-high 21 points in SU's win against Lafayette. She improved on that performance in Syracuse's win against Buffalo, scoring a team-high 23 points.
• Tyson-Thomas recorded her 10th career double-double against St. Francis (Pa.) with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
• She is third in the BIG EAST in offensive rebounds (4.2 pg.) and second in free throw percentage (.920).

UP NEXT
• Following the Duel In The Desert, the Orange will return to action on Dec. 29 when it hosts Niagara in a 7 p.m. game at the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse University Athletics

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