Syracuse University
Pittsburgh
Hemingway Powers Orange At Pitt, 83-60
1/7/2012 3:04:13 PM | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Season Stats
PITTSBURGH - Iasia Hemingway's career-high 33 points and a strong second half defensive effort led Syracuse women's basketball (12-5, 1-2 BIG EAST) to a 83-60 conference victory at Pittsburgh's (8-8, 0-3) Peterson Events Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Orange held Pitt without a field goal for the first 7:18 of the second half to turn an eight-point halftime lead into a 19-point advantage, 57-38, with 13:25 to go. Hemingway scored the final nine points in the 14-4 run.
The Panthers could not solve SU's 2-3 zone. The Orange held Pitt to 29.2 percent shooting in the second half and 35.8 percent for the game, and scored 23 points off 23 turnovers. The Orange limited Panthers leading scorer and Utica Proctor alum Brianna Kiesel to seven points and 2-of-10 shooting.
At the offensive end, the Orange set the PEC facility record for free throws made (34) and attempted (38), led by Hemingway's school-record and building-record 15 makes on 16 attempts. SU shot 40 percent from the field, including 5-of-16 from 3-point range.
Hemingway's 33 points tied SU's season-high for points. Kayla Alexander scored 33 against Binghamton on Nov. 26. Alexander was limited to 15 minutes after sitting the final 16:47 of the first half after picking up her second foul.
La'Shay Taft (13), Alexander (10) and Carmen Tyson-Thomas (10) rounded out the Orange's four players in double figures.
Ashlee Anderson led the Panthers with 14 points and nine rebounds.
After Pitt went on a 17-5 run between the 11:34 and 5:32 marks of the first half to take a 27-25 lead, the Orange responded by outscoring the Panthers, 16-7, over the duration of the half to take a 41-34 lead into halftime. Tyson-Thomas hit a pair of 3-pointers and Taft added another in the final 3:34 fuel the SU run. Hemingway carried the Orange up to that point, leading all scorers with 15 first-half points.
The Orange returns to the Carrier Dome to host St. John's in BIG EAST action on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Notes: Alexander blocked four shots in the game, giving her 203 in her career, making her the fourth SU player ever to reach the 200 mark ... SU's 34-of-38 free throw shooting tied a program record for makes and and set a season-high in attempts, as well as Peterson Events Center records ... Last time SU made 34 free throws was on Jan. 13, 2010 vs. Rutgers, and the last time it attempted more was 40 on Dec. 30, 2010 vs. Bryant ... Hemingway's 15 free throws surpassed Julie McBride (14 vs. Binghamton, 11/22/03) and Kim Dick (14 vs. Boston University, 1/5/82) ... SU, the nation's leading rebounding team, outrebounded its opponent for the 15th time in 17 games, 39-33 ... Taft tied a career-high with four assists ... Hemingway's 33 points was SU's fourth 30+ point performance this season (Hemingway 3, Alexander 1) ... Phylesha Bullard had six points, three rebounds and two steals in 19 minutes, one shy of her career-high ... SU had 10 steals, making it 8-0 when having 10+ ... Elashier Hall left the game in the first half with a right knee injury and did not return.
