No. 3 UConn Knocks Off Syracuse, 95-54

Wednesday, January 25

Carrier Dome

7 p.m.

Syracuse University

Connecticut

Iasia Hemingway led the Orange with 15 points on Wednesday

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

1/25/2012 7:59:01 PM | Women's Basketball

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The Syracuse women's basketball team, playing in front of a record home crowd of 4,357, trailed No. 3 Connecticut by seven at halftime before the Huskies opened the second half on a 35-12 run to down the Orange, 95-54 on Wednesday night at the Carrier Dome. Iasia Hemingway led SU (13-8, 2-5) with 15 points. Tiffany Hayes led three UConn (18-2, 7-1) players in double-figures with a career-high 35 points.

“We played a solid first half,” said head coach Quentin Hillsman. “We knew they would come out and make a run in the second half, and they did. We didn't match their run.”

With five ties and two lead changes in the first half, UConn led 40-33 at halftime. SU matched the Huskies on nearly every statistical category in the opening 20 minutes, and shot 11-of-29 from the floor and holding a slight 21-20 edge in rebounds.

The Orange pressed the Huskies early on, forcing a turnover less than a minute into the game and a bucket from Elashier Hall, drawing a foul and giving SU a 4-2 lead. The aggressive Syracuse attack in the paint led to two fouls on Stefanie Dolson just two minutes in.

SU led by as many as seven in the first half before the Huskies offense came alive with a 9-0 run, including seven from Hayes. Syracuse went shot for shot with the Huskies, keeping the game to one possession until Connecticut went on a 6-0 run during a 54 second span to open up a 30-24 edge.

Kayla Alexander (eight points, four blocks) made it a five-point game coming out of halftime with a bucket down low, but UConn would answer with 12 straight points, including five from Hayes, to open up a 17-point advantage at 52-35.

The Huskies continued their hot shooting throughout the half, shooting 65%, including 8-of-13 from beyond the arc. Connecticut would also take advantage of 17 SU turnovers, turning them into 24 points and holding the Orange to an 8-of-33 performance from the floor in the final 20 minutes.

The Orange will continue its brief two-game home stand on Saturday as SU hosts Cincinnati at 4:00 p.m. at the Dome in the second game of a doubleheader with the Syracuse men's basketball team, which plays at 1:00 p.m. against West Virginia.