Orange Hosts WVU To Open BIG EAST Play

Syracuse vs. West Virginia
Game Details	Wednesday, Dec. 7 \| Syracuse, N.Y. \| 7 p.m. Carrier Dome Purchase Tickets
Game Coverage	TV: Time Warner Cable Sports (TWCS) Radio: ESPN 97.7FM/1200 AM, WJPZ 89.1 FM Orange All Access: Video \| Audio \| Live Stats Twitter: @suorangeempire
Syracuse Links	Game Notes \| Roster \| Schedule
WVU Links	Game Notes \| Roster \| Schedule

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The 6-2 NR/RV Syracuse Orange women's basketball team opens its BIG EAST Conference slate against West Virginia (5-2) on Wednesday in a 7 p.m. tip-off at the Carrier Dome. The Orange is returning home, where it is a perfect 4-0 on the season, after a four-game road trip that included stops in Boise and Hawai'i.
• Wednesday's game is being televised live on Time Warner Sports.
• The contest 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 video and audio for every Orange home game are available on SUAthletics.com via Orange All Access. Live statistics are also available on SUAthletics.com.

SERIES HISTORY
• This is the 22nd meeting all-time between the Orange and Mountaineers with WVU leading the series, 12-9. SU is 4-5 at home in the series.
• Quentin Hillsman is 2-3 against WVU with both wins coming at home.
• The last meeting, on Jan. 15, 2011, The Orange fell in a back and forth game, 70-61 at the WVU Coliseum. Elashier Hall led the Orange with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Madina Ali scored a game-high 32 points with 10 rebounds for the Mountaineers.
• The last time the teams met in the Salt City, SU came back from a 14-point deficit to upset No. 8 West Virginia, 67-48 on March 1, 2010 at the Carrier Dome. Erica Morrow led the Orange attack with 23 points and five assists.

SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA
• The Mountaineers are 5-2 on the season and are coming off back-to-back home victories over La Salle (63-52) and Boston University (78-53). They are 0-1 playing on their opponents home court, losing at Cal State Northridge by one, 48-47 on Nov. 26.
• WVU is led by sharp-shooting guard Taylor Plamer. She is averaging 18.3 points per game and also leads the team with 25 3-pointers on 66 attempts (38 percent).
• Asya Bussie is the top frontcourt presence for the Mountaineers, averaging 11.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game.
• Mike Carey is in his 11th season as head coach of the Mountaineers and sports a .634 winning percentage in that time. For his career (24th year), he sits at 496 wins.
• WVU returns one starter (Bussie) from last season's 24-10 team.

BIG EAST TIME
• Dec. 7 marks the earliest Syracuse has played a BIG EAST Conference game since it won at Seton Hall, 59-56, on Dec. 5, 2001.
• SU opened conference play each of the previous three seasons against Georgetown.
• The Orange was 9-7 in BIG EAST play last season, good for tied for seventh in the conference.
• All-time, Syracuse is 180-283 in 27 seasons in the BIG EAST and 34-46 in five seasons under Hillsman.

DOMINATING THE GLASS
• Dominant rebounding has become the norm for the Orange in recent years. Syracuse led the NCAA in rebounding margin last season at +13.4 per game.
• Syracuse leads the BIG EAST in rebounds and rebounding margin this season. The Orange averages 53.0 rebounds per game, well ahead of second place Connecticut (45.4 rpg.). Syracuse is outrebounding its opponents by an average of 17.2 rebounds per game. Last season Syracuse led the nation in rebounding margin. SU outrebounded 31 of its 35 opponents by an average of 13.4.
• Nationally, Syracuse leads the nation in rebounds per game and ranks fifth in rebound margin.
• SU has four of the top 20 rebounders in the BIG EAST (5. Kayla Alexander, 8.9; 13. Shakeya Leary, 7.5; T15. Elashier Hall, 7.1; and T15. Carmen Tyson-Thomas, 7.1).

IN THE POLLS
• Syracuse received one vote in this week's ESPN/USA TODAY coaches' poll. The Orange has received votes in all four coaches' polls this season.
• The Orange received a season-high 19 points in the ESPN/USA TODAY coaches' poll released on Nov. 21.
• Last season, Syracuse returned to the top 25 when it earned a No. 24 ranking in the Dec. 13 Associated Press poll after upsetting No. 6 Ohio State at home. That was the first time the Orange had been ranked in the top 25 since Feb. 8, 2008. Syracuse remained in the media poll's top 25 for five consecutive weeks. In addition, the Orange was ranked No. 25 in the Feb. 1 ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll.

UP NEXT
• It will be back to non-conference play for the Orange on Saturday when it hosts Coppin State at the Carrier Dome in a 1 p.m. game.

Syracuse University Athletics

Related Videos