Orange Heads To Pitt For BIG EAST Clash

Syracuse at Pittsburgh
Game Details	Saturday, Jan. 7 \| Pittsburgh, Pa. \| 2 p.m. Peterson Events Center Purchase Tickets
Game Coverage	TV: None Radio: ESPN 97.7FM/1200 AM, WJPZ 89.1 FM Orange All Access: Audio Live Stats Twitter Updates: @suorangeempire
Syracuse Links	Game Notes \| Roster \| Schedule
Pittsburgh Links	Game Notes \| Roster \| Schedule

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse Orange women's basketball team (11-5, 0-2 BIG EAST) heads to Pittsburgh to face the Panthers (8-7, 0-2) in a conference match-up on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Peterson Events Center.
• 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 audio is available on SUAthletics.com via Orange All Access. Live statistics are also available on SUAthletics.com.

SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the 49th meeting all-time between Syracuse and Pittsburgh with the Orange holding a 29-19 edge in the series, including each of the last two season's games.
• In last season's meeting, on Jan. 26 in the Carrier Dome, Erica Morrow scored a game-high 17 points to lead SU to a 69-60 victory. Elashier Hall tallied 16 points, while Kayla Alexander added 14. The Orange enjoyed a 50-36 rebounding advantage. Shayla Scott led the Panthers with 16 points.
• On Feb. 2, 2010, the last time the teams played in Pittsburgh, the Orange won, 87-80, in overtime. Nicole Michael became the program's all-time leading scorer with 27, breaking Julie McBride's record of 1,605 by finishing the fame with 1,614. She eventually finished her career with 1,787. Vionca Murray scored the first five points of overtime to help lead SU to the win.
• Prior to SU's wins the last two seasons, Pitt had won four in a row against the Orange.
• Syracuse is 11-12 all-time at Pitt and 17-7 at home.

SCOUTING PITTSBURGH
• The Panthers are 8-7 overall and 0-2 in BIG EAST play.
• Most recently, Pitt lost at Villanova, 70-62. Its other conference game was a 82-54 loss at home to Georgetown on Dec. 7.
• SU and Pitt share one common opponent, St. Francis (PA). The Orange won that game, 88-45, on Nov. 18, while the Panthers won as well, 78-50, three days earlier.
• Brianna Kiesel leads the Panthers in scoring at 14.6 points per game and also leads the club in assists with 47.
• Leeza Burdgess is the top post player, averaging 6.9 rebounds per game to go along with 7.1 ppg.
• Abbt Dowd is the outside shooting threat, hit on 22 of 63 3-point attempts and averages 5.4 ppg.
• Agnus Berenato is in her ninth season as head coach at Pitt. She is 152-113 in that time and 435-377 in her 28-year career.

TWO-STRAIGHT 51-POINT WINS
• The Orange wrapped up non-conference play last week with a pair of 51-point victories against in-state schools Niagara and Colgate.
• Behind a 53 point first half, its highest in any half this season, SU coasted to an 81-30 win against Niagara (3-9) on Thursday. SU had nine players in the scoring column (three in double-figures), led by Kayla Alexander's 20 points. She also posted 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.
• It was the largest margin of victory for the Orange since an 81-17 win against Delaware State last season.
• Carmen Tyson-Thomas added 15 points for the Orange, and tied a career-high with 13 rebounds en route to her 12th career double-double, and third this season.
• Led by Iasia Hemingway's career-high 31 points and fourth double-double of the season, the Orange ran away with an 83-32 win against Colgate (3-12) on Saturday.
• Hemingway, who added a season-high 13 rebounds, was 10-of-18 from the floor and a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line.
• Nine different players entered the scoring column for the Orange, while three registered double-digit efforts. Tyson-Thomas collected her second straight double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Alexander tallied 12 points (10 in the second half).

HEMINGWAY HONORED BY CONFERENCE
• Senior forward Iasia Hemingway was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Monday for her efforts in SU's two wins last week.
• Hemingway led the Orange, averaging 23.5 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting .591 (13-22) from the field and .840 (21-25) from the free throw line. The senior forward averaged nearly a point per minute, averaging 26 minutes over the two games. Hemingway scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed 13 rebounds against Colgate for her fourth double-double of the season and second 30+ point game.

2 OUT OF 3 IN VEGAS
• The Orange went 2-1 at the Duel In The Desert at UNLV's Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Dec. 18-20. SU opened with a 70-67 victory over 2011 Sweet Sixteen team Xavier, before falling to RV Oklahoma, 82-63. The Orange wrapped up play with a 81-70 victory over Ohio.
• Carmen Tyson-Thomas led the Orange with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the Xavier victory. Elashier Hall led SU with 19 points in the Oklahoma game, and Iasia Hemingway poured in 24 points and grabbed 10 boards in the win vs. Ohio.

DOMINATING THE GLASS
• Dominant rebounding has become the norm for the Orange in recent years. As of the last NCAA stats update, Syracuse led the NCAA in rebounding, averaging 51.3 per game and ranked seventh in margin at +13.9 per game.
• In the BIG EAST, SU leads the conference in rebounds per game, offensive rebounds and rebounding margin this season. At 50.6 rebounds per game, SU is well ahead of second place West Virginia (44.6 rpg.). Syracuse is grabbing 22.5 offensive rebounds per game, almost five more than second place West Virginia (17.8).
• SU has four of the top 20 rebounders in the BIG EAST (5. Carmen Tyson-Thomas, 8.4; 8. Kayla Alexander, 7.8; T15. Shakeya Leary, 6.9; and T15. Iasia Hemingway, 6.9.
• Syracuse led the NCAA in rebounding margin last season at +13.4 per game. SU outrebounded 31 of its 35 opponents.

STRONG AT THE STRIPE
• An aggressive, attacking style of offense results in the Orange getting to the free throw line (403) and making more free throws (302) than any other team in the BIG EAST.
• Syracuse ranks second in the conference in free throw shooting percentage at .749, just behind Villanova's .751).
• Carmen Tyson-Thomas has the second-best percentage at the charity stripe in the conference (.911).

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 second-leading scorer (15.4 ppg.) and rebounder (7.8 rpg.) this season. She ranks 10th in the BIG EAST in scoring and eighth in rebounding.
• Alexander is fourth on Syracuse's career blocked shot list with 199. Chris Palombi (1981-84) ranks third with 217.
• Alexander is fourth on SU's career free throws made list at 325. Next up is Julie McBride (2001-04) with 348.

HEMINGWAY SPARKS ORANGE
• Senior Iasia Hemingway has reached double figures in scoring in 13 of 16 games this season and reached the 30-point mark twice. She leads the team in scoring (15.6 ppg) and averages 6.9 rebounds.
• She set a new career-high with 31 points to go along with 13 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season vs. Colgate on Dec. 31.
• Hemingway erupted for a then-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. She has scored 1,320 points in her career, 695 of them wearing Orange.

TYSON-THOMAS MAKES IMPACT
• Junior Carmen Tyson-Thomas ranks third on the team in scoring (12.4 ppg.) and leads the club in rebounding (8.4 rpg) this season.
• She has recorded a double-double in three-straight games to give her five on the season and 14 in her career. She most recently had 12 points and 10 rebounds at Rutgers (1/3).
• 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. Since then she has posted 22 points against Ohio (12/20).
• She is second in the BIG EAST in free throw shooting percentage at .911 (41-45) and is tied with Alexander for third in offensive rebounds per game (3.9).

HALL DISPLAYS ALL-AROUND GAME
• Do-everything junior Elashier Hall has shown her veratility in Syracuse's first 16 contests of the season. Hall is nearly averaging double-figure scoring at 9.7 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds per contest, all while leading the team with 52 assists and tying for the lead with 30 steals.
• Hall led the Orange with 19 points against Oklahoma (12/19), going 11-of-13 from the free throw line.

LEARY CLEANING UP THE GLASS
• Sophomore Shakeya Leary has posted double figures in rebounds coming off the bench in five contests this season. She led the Orange with 13 rebounds against Long Beach State, helping SU to a 63-42 advantage on the boards against the 49ers. Leary also had 10 rebounds against Binghamton, 10 at Boise State (11/29) and 10 vs. Xavier (12/18).
• Leary scored a career-high 14 points, grabbed nine boards and blocked four shots in 16 minutes vs. Coppin State on Dec. 10.
• Leary is averaging 6.9 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game. That equates to 16.3 rebounds per 40 minutes of action.

TAFT RECORDS CAREER HIGH
• Sophomore La'Shay Taft sparked the Orange in its victory at Binghamton on Nov. 26. She scored a career-high 22 points and tied her career-best marks in rebounds (4) and assists (3). Taft was 8-for-16 from the floor, including 6-for-13 from three-point range.
• Taft, who made her first career start in the season opener, is averaging 4.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per game. Through 16 games, she has already surpassed her rebounds and assists totals from last season when she played in 30 games.

COFFEY COMING ON STRONG
• Sophomore Rachel Coffey scored a career-high 15 points on 5-of-10 3-point shooting in SU's 80-74 loss against Arizona in Hawai'i on Dec. 2. She added six rebounds and three steals in 23 minutes.
• Coffey scored nine points and dished out five assists in Syracuse's win at Binghamton (11/26). She was 3-for-6 for three-point range as SU erased an early eight-point deficit.
• Coffey has started in eight of the last nine games. She is averaging 3.1 points in 16 games overall. She ranks second on the squad in assists (43) and had a personal-best six-assist performance against Ohio (12/20).

100 AND COUNTING
• Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman recorded his 100th career victory in the Orange's win against St. Francis on Nov. 18.
• In five-plus seasons at the helm of the Orange program, Hillsman has guided SU to a record of 109-70 (.609). He became the fastest coach to post 100 wins in school history.
• Barb Jacobs, the winningest coach in school history, recorded her 100th victory in her 189th game. Hillsman ranks third in career wins at SU.

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.

ORANGE PICKED EIGHTH
• Syracuse was picked eighth in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Orange received 123 points. Notre Dame narrowly edged Connecticut as the preseason favorite to win the conference title. The Fighting Irish garnered 219 points, while the Huskies were right behind with 216. Both squads received seven first-place votes. Louisville was picked third, followed by Rutgers, Georgetown, DePaul and St. John's.

ALEXANDER GETS PRESEASON HONOR
• Junior Kayla Alexander was named to the BIG EAST All-BIG EAST Team in a vote by the league's head coaches. Alexander earned All-BIG EAST First Team honors last season after leading the Orange in scoring (14.8 ppg.), blocks (91), field-goal percentage (.549) and free-throw percentage (.766). Her 91 blocked shots led the BIG EAST and set a single-season school record. Alexander posted seven double-doubles last season and led the team in scoring in 15 games.

POST-SEASON SUCCESS
• Syracuse has played in the postseason in each of the last four years. The Orange has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) in each of the past two seasons. SU also participated in the WNIT in 2008-09 after earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2007-08. Five of Syracuse's eight post-season appearances have occurred since head coach Quentin Hillsman took over the reigns of the program in 2006-07.

MORROW BACK WITH ORANGE
• Orange fans will see a familiar face on the Syracuse sidelines this season. Erica Morrow, who graduated last spring as SU's second all-time leading scorer, is back with the program as a graduate student manager for 2011-12. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native is enrolled in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication intensive one-year broadcast journalism graduate program.

UP NEXT
• Syracuse returns home on Wednesday, Jan.

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