Second-Half Surge Leads SU Past Hartford, 59-42

Friday, March 16

Hartford, Conn.

7 p.m.

Syracuse University

Hartford

Rachel Coffey scored in double figures for the sixth time this season on Friday night.

3/16/2012 7:47:47 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score | Season Stats | VIDEO: Press Conference

HARTFORD, Conn. – Leading by six at halftime, the Syracuse women's basketball team (19-14) came out of the break on a 16-3 run to knock off Hartford (19-13) in the first round of the WNIT on Friday night at Chase Family Arena, 59-42. With the win, the first postseason road victory in program history, the Orange will take on Drexel in Philadelphia on Monday night at 7:00 p.m.

All nine SU players entered the scoring column as Syracuse shot 20-of-53 from the floor, led by 12 points from Rachel Coffey. The Orange also turned 22 Hartford turnovers into 26 points. The Hawks were 14-of-52 (27%) for the game.

After the Orange jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, the Hawks countered with a 7-0 run, with five points from Amber Bepko to take a 7-3 edge just 3:17 into the game. Bepko led all Hartford scorers with nine points.

Syracuse would battle back into the game thanks to six points from Iasia Hemingway (eight points), and forced Hartford into seven turnovers through the first 10 minutes of the game.

Back-to-back three pointers from Coffey and Shanee Williams (five points, two assists) capped a 10-2 SU run and gave the Orange its largest lead of the half at 20-12.

The Syracuse defense continued to stifle Hartford's scoring attack, holding the Hawks without a field goal for 5:18, during which Hartford went 0-of-8 from the floor.

Hartford would climb within one at 24-23 with less than two minutes to play in the first half as Taylor Clark completed a three point play after making a layup and drawing a foul on Carmen Tyson-Thomas (eight points).

SU would take a double-digit lead coming out of the break as Shakeya Leary (eight points) and Coffey each converted on field goals attempts to extend the Orange lead to 33-23. Leary would continue to dominate in the paint as Syracuse opened the half on an 8-0 run.

With the Orange leading by 14 with 15:10 left in regulation Hawks head coach Jennifer Rizzotti received a technical foul, enabling SU to make it a 42-26 advantage after two free throws from Hemingway.

The Hawks had their chances to climb back into the contest, but a 5-of-27 (19%) second half performance from the floor negated any hopes of a comeback.