Syracuse University
Rutgers
No. 10 Rutgers Downs Orange, 55-44
1/3/2012 9:57:38 PM | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Postgame Interview With Coach Q
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - No. 10 Rutgers used an 11-1 second-half run to take control of what was a tied game and defeat the Syracuse women's basketball team, 55-44, at the RAC on Tuesday night. The Orange is now 11-5 overall and 0-2 in BIG EAST play, while the Scarlet Knights are 12-2 and 1-0 in the conference.
Newark, N.J. native Iasia Hemingway led the Orange with 14 points, all in the second half, while Carmen Tyson-Thomas added 12 points, including 10 in the opening half, and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.
April Sykes scored 14 points to pace Rutgers, while Khadijah Rushden added 13.
The Orange battled hard on the offensive glass, outscoring RU 20-8 on second-chance points, but the Scarlet Knights took advantage of 27 SU turnovers to win the points-off-turnovers battle, 25-10.
Trailing 28-20 at the half, the Orange used a 14-3 run early in the second period, including a stretch of holding Rutgers scoreless for 4:22, to tie the game, 34-34, on a Tyson-Thomas putback with 10:32 to go.
With the score tied at 36 and eight minutes remaining in the game, the Scarlet Knights used an 11-1 run to take a 10-point lead, 47-37, and control of the game with 5:59 left. The run was part of a 6:51 stretch in which the Orange went without a field goal.
In the first half, Tyson-Thomas carried the Orange, scoring 10 of the team's first 16 points and grabbing five rebounds giving SU a 16-15 lead with eitght minutes remaining the opening half. The junior hit five of her first six shots as Syracuse had an early 12-6 edge in the paint. The Scarlet Knights responded with a 10-2 run in the next four minutes to take a seven-point lead, 25-18. Erica Wheeler hit a 3-pointer with 27 seconds left to give Rutgers a 28-20 halftime lead.
Kayla Alexander finished the game with nine points and eight boards for SU.
The Orange continues BIG EAST play on the road Saturday when it travels to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers in a 2 p.m. tip-off.
