Villanova Knocks Off Orange, 68-60

Monday, February 27

Villanova, Pa.

7 p.m.

Syracuse University

Villanova

Hemingway recorded her sixth double-double of the season on Monday for SU with 19 points and 10 rebounds

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

2/27/2012 7:47:26 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score | Season Stats

VILLANOVA, PA. – After the Syracuse women's basketball team (17-13, 6-10) erased a 10-point second half deficit to take a six point lead with 7:30 left in regulation, Villanova (16-13, 6-10) responded with 14 of the game's final 18 points to down the Orange, 68-60 on Monday night at the Pavilion.

Syracuse the No. 12 seed in this weekend's BIG EAST Tournament, will take on No. 13 seed Providence at 12:00 p.m. on Friday in Hartford, Conn.

The Wildcats shot 54 percent from three-point range (14-of-26), including 10 first half conversions. Lindsay Kimmel had a team-high 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc while Iasia Hemingway had 19 points (17 in the second half) and 10 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season.

Syracuse was 22-of-61 from the floor on the night and held a 42-29 edge in rebounds after holding just a two-rebound advantage at halftime.

With a lot of back and forth action through the opening minutes of play, Shakeya Leary gave SU a 7-5 edge heading into the first media timeout with four straight points, capped by a layup following a bounce pass from Elashier Hall. Hall would then give SU its largest lead of the half with a three pointer to make it 10-5 Orange.

When Kimmel exploded for three consecutive three-pointers to erase the Syracuse lead and give the Wildcats a 14-10 advantage, Carmen Tyson-Thomas answered with two straight buckets to level the score. Tyson-Thomas finished with 10 points off the bench.

A Villanova 10-0 run midway through the first half, highlighted by a Kimmel three from the right side, opened the Wildcat lead to 24-16. Villanova would lead by nine at halftime, 36-27.

Syracuse came out of the break with eight of the first 11 points in the second half, which saw three ties and four lead changes, including six from Hemingway to whittle the Wildcat advantage to just four points at 39-35. With Laura Sweeney sidelined with three fouls, Hemingway would continue her hot second half with nine straight SU points to make it a two-point deficit at 42-40 with 14:01 left in regulation.

Tyson-Thomas would later get into the act on a three from the left side to give Syracuse a 49-46 advantage with 9:31 to play, its first lead since the 14:56 mark of the first half.

SU would continue its 9-1 run to take its largest lead of the game at 53-47 on an 18-foot jumper from Hall with 7:30 left in the second half. After Villanova went on a quick 6-0 run to knot the game at 53, Hall would give SU the lead once again with a layup, drawing a foul on Lauren Burford.

Sweeney, hampered by four fouls, remained in the game down the stretch, scoring six points in the final five minutes to help Villanova retake the lead at 56-55, and the Wildcats went 7-of-9 from the free throw line to seal the win.