Orange Opens at Home vs. Dartmouth

Syracuse (1-0) vs. Dartmouth (1-1)
Game Details	Thursday, Nov. 14 \| 7 p.m. ET \| Syracuse, N.Y. Carrier Dome (35,121) \| Tickets \| Directions
Game Coverage	Watch: Orange All Access Radio: ESPN 97.7/100.1 FM & 1200 AM \| Orange All-Access Live Stats Twitter: @CuseWBB \| @cuse
Syracuse Links	Roster \| Schedule \| Game Notes
Dartmouth Links	Roster \| Schedule \| Game Notes

VIDEO: Coach Q Preview | Coffey & Leary Preview

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse women's basketball hosts Dartmouth in the home opener at the Carrier Dome on Thursday at 7 p.m.

• Syracuse opened the season with a 69-65 victory at Washington State of the Pac-10 on Sunday, while Dartmouth is 1-1 with a loss at Holy Cross (84-59) and win vs. Vermont (66-62).

• The Orange, under eighth-year head coach Quentin Hillsman, is looking to build off one of the most successful seasons in program history as it makes its debut in the ACC. The 2012-13 Syracuse squad went 24-8 (.750) overall, the best winning percentage in the NCAA era of the program, finished third in its final BIG EAST season with a 11-5 record, advanced to its fifth NCAA Tournament, and finished the year ranked 22nd in both major polls.

GAME COVERAGE

• All the Orange's games can be heard live on SU's flagship station, ESPN 97.7/100.7 FM and 1200 AM, and on Orange All-Access at SUAthletics.com with Brian Higgins '04 on the call. Free live stats are also available at SUathletics.com.

• The game can be watched live onlin on Orange All Access at SUathletics.com.

• As always, follow @CuseWBB on Twitter for live in-game updates.

DOME SWEET DOME

• SU has a record of 76-32 (.704) in 108 games in the Carrier Dome since moving there full-time in 2006-07.

• SU went 13-1 at home last season, tied for its best home winning percentage in program history. The Orange also went 13-1 in 1987-88.

• SU outscored its opponents at home by an average margin of 24.2 points.

NON-CONFERENCE HOME STREAK

• Syracuse has won 53 non-conference home games in a row, dating back to the 2006-07 season, Quentin Hillsman's first season as head coach at SU. He is 55-5 in his career in such games.

• The Orange went 6-0 last season in out-of-conference play at the Dome.

• SU's last non-conference home loss was on Dec. 22, 2006 to Canisius (56-43).

• In 2010-11 SU was 14-0, 12-0 in 2009-10, 8-0 in 2008-09, and 7-0 in 2007-08.

ORANGE BEAT COUGARS IN OPENER

• A career-high 21 points and 16 rebounds by senior center Skakeya Leary led Syracuse women's basketball (1-0) to a 69-65 season-opening win at Washington State (0-1) on Sunday afternoon at the Beasley Coliseum. The Orange returns home to host Dartmouth in the Carrier Dome opener on Thursday at 7 p.m.

• Taking over the starting center position vacated by graduated first-round WNBA draft pick and all-time leading scorer Kayla Alexander, Leary dominated the post in her second career start, shooting 8-of-15 from the field and 5-of-5 at the free throw line, recording her second double-double in 103 games played.
• The Cougars had the ball in the final minute, looking to tie game after a Brianna Butler jumper gave head coach Quentin Hillsman's Orange a 62-60 lead with 42 seconds left, but Brittney Sykes made a steal and took it in for a layup with 32 seconds left to put Syracuse on top by four, 64-60.
• A WSU layup and an Orange turnover followed by a Cougars' 3-pointer by Lia Galdeira pulled the host team within one with three seconds left, but Cornelia Fondren sank two free throws with one second remaining to ice the game.
• The sophomore Sykes finished with 16 points and five rebounds for the Orange, while senior point guard Rachel Coffey dished out a game-high seven assists to go along with six rebounds. Sophomore forward Taylor Ford contributed a career-best nine rebounds off the bench.

ORANGE PICKED 7TH IN ACC

• Syracuse was picked to finish seventh in its first Atlantic Coast Conference season in preseason polls announced by the ACC at its Media Day on Oct. 23. The Orange was seventh in both the Blue Ribbon Panel poll and the coaches poll.

• Defending conference champion Duke was picked to first in both polls. The Blue Devils, who return all five starters, 11 letterwinners and top seven scorers from last season's team that finished 33-3 and reached the regional final of the 2013 NCAA Women's Championship, were listed as this year's preseason favorite by 39 Blue Ribbon Panel voters.

SERIES HISTORY

• Syracuse is 4-0 all-time against Dartmouth. Last season, the Orange used a 20-4 run to start the second half to cruise to a 91-64 win on Nov. 29 at Leede Arena. Kayla Alexander poured in 27 points and blocked six shots, while Rachel Coffey scored 14 points and dished out seven assists. Brianna Butler added 13 points.

• The last time they played in the Carrier Dome was a 56-42 Orange victory on Dec. 13, 2009. Nicole Michael led the way with 14 points while Alexander added 11 as SU outshot the Big Green, 51.1 percent to 28.3.

• The only times the teams have played in Hanover was a 63-59 SU win on Dec. 28, 2000.

SCOUTING THE BIG GREEN

• Dartmouth is off to a 1-1 start to the season, losing at Holy Cross in the opener on Nov. 8, 84-59, before beating Vermont at home, 66-62.

• Fanni Szabo has been the leading scorer in both games for the Big Green, pouring in 21 points at Holy Cross and 31 against Vermont. She is 7-of-16 from 3-point range.

• The Big Green returns four starters from a team that went 6-22 overall last season and 4-10 in the Ivy League.

NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER

• With its win in the opener at Washington State, Syracuse ran its winning streak in the month of November to 25 games. SU went 7-0 in November in 2012-13, its fourth-straight undefeated Nov.

• Since 2007, Syracuse is 31-3 (.912) in November. It has not lost since Nov. 26, 2008 at Alaska-Anchorage, 58-57.

WHAT'S NEW

• Head coach Quentin Hillsman welcomes a talented, five-player freshman class in 2013-14 that is ranked No. 10 in the country by Dan Olson's Collegiate Girls Basketball Report and No. 12 by Blue Star Report.

• The class consists of 6-1 guard Tasia Butler (Waldorf, Md.), 6-4 twins Bria Day and Briana Day (Raleigh, N.C.), 5-6 guard Alexis Peterson (Northland, Ohio), and 6-0 guard Isabella Slim (Amsterdam, Netherlands).

• The class joins the Orange sophomore class that was ranked as the No. 6 recruiting class in the country by ESPN Hoopgurlz in 2012 to form the nucleus representing the future of the Orange program.

IN THE POLLS

• Syracuse received two votes in this week's USA TODAY Coaches Poll after getting eight votes in the preseason poll.

• SU was ranked No. 22 in both the final Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches polls last season. It was ranked for seven-straight weeks in the AP poll and 10-straight weeks in the coaches poll, both program records.

• The Orange peaked in the polls on the week of Feb. 18 when it was 21-3, setting all-time highs of No. 21 in the AP and No. 18 in the coaches' poll.

2012-13 SEASON REWIND

• Syracuse enjoyed a record-setting 2012-13 campaign. The Orange finished the season 24-8 overall record, establishing the best winning percentage (.750) since becoming an NCAA Division I program. Its 24 wins was the fourth-most in school history. It was the third-most wins in the NCAA-era for the Orange, with the only higher wins totals coming in 2009-10 and 2010-11 under Hillsman (25 wins each).

• Syracuse made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in five years and fifth overall. The Orange earned a seven-seed in the Oklahoma City region, falling to Creighton in the first round, 61-56, in Knoxville, Tenn.

• The Orange finished the season ranked No. 22 in both the AP and USA TODAY Coaches Polls. SU was ranked for 10-straight weeks in the coaches poll and seven striaght weeks in the AP poll, including program bests of No. 18 and No. 21 in each.

• Four Orange players earned BIG EAST season awards. Senior center Kayla Alexander was named All-BIG EAST First Team, freshmen guards Brittney Sykes and Brianna Butler were named to the All-Freshman Team, and senior guard Carmen Tyson-Thomas won the BIG EAST Sixth-Man Award.

• Syracuse's 2-3 zone defense held opponents to the second-worst field goal percentage in the BIG EAST (.346) and held the opposition to the lowest 3-point field goal percentage in the conference (.275). SU's 12.3 steals per game was the most in the BIG EAST and ranked seventh nationally.

• The Orange was the third-highest scoring team in the BIG EAST and 18th-best in the country at 72.0 points per game. That led to SU having the fourth-best scoring margin in the conference (+14.6), which ranked 18th in the NCAA.

UP NEXT

• Syracuse continues its four-game homestand on Monday when it hosts Cornell in a 4:30 p.m. tip at the Carrier Dome. Tickets can be purchased online, by calling 1-888-DOMETIX or at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B).

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