Orange & Black Bears Tangle at the Dome

Syracuse (4-0) vs. Maine (3-0)
Game Details	Sunday, Nov. 24 \| 1 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 \| Stats
Maine Links	Roster \| Schedule \| Stats

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - In the finale of a four-game homestand, Syracuse women's basketball (4-0) hosts Maine (3-0) on Sunday in a 1 p.m. tip-off at the Carrier Dome.
• Syracuse opened the season with a 69-65 victory at Washington State of the Pac-10 on Nov. 10, before beating Dartmouth in the home opener at the Carrier Dome on Nov. 14, 88-47, then cruised by Cornell, 89-48, at home on Monday, before a record-setting 113-42 win over Maryland Eastern Shore on Wednesday.
• 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, 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 online 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 79-32 (.712) in 111 games in the Carrier Dome since moving there full-time in 2006-07.
• SU is off to a 3-0 start at home in 2013-14 after it 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 last season.

NON-CONFERENCE HOME STREAK
• Syracuse has won 56 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 58-5 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.

SERIES HISTORY
• Syracuse is 1-1 all-time against Maine, winning an early-season game last year in Orono.
• On Nov. 13, 2012 at Alfond Arena, SU used a 17-0 second-half run to pull away to a 68-44 victory. Kayla Alexander scored 19 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked three shots. Elashier Hall added 12 points.
• Maine won the first meeting between the programs, 59-45, on Dec. 2, 1988 at the MSU Holidat Classic in East Lansing, Mich.

SCOUTING THE BLACK BEARS
• Maine is off to a 3-0 start to the season, beating North Dakota State (64-59), Bryant (75-65), and most recently, LIU-Brooklyn on Friday night on the road (66-50).
• Senior guard Ashleigh Roberts is the key to the Black Bears' offense. She is averaging 17.7 points per game, almost 10 points more than the next highest scorer, guard Lauren Bodine (8.0). The backcourt pair are shooting 57.6 and 61.5 percent from the field, respectively.
• In his third year as head coach at Maine, head coach Richard Barron has built an international roster with six of 13 players from foreign lands.

RECORDS FALL VS. UMES
• Syracuse scored the most points in program history to stay perfect on the season, defeating Maryland Eastern Shore 113-42 on Wednesday night at the Carrier Dome.
• The Orange also won by its all-time largest margin of victory in the 71-point win over the Hawks (1-3).
• SU also set a program record for most points in a half as it went into halftime up 64-15.
• Brianna Butler had a career day, scoring a personal-best 23 points including seven 3-pointers on 11 attempts, the most she has netted in her time at SU. Butler also contributed four steals and three assists.
• Brittney Sykes scored 19 and added a team-high seven rebounds, while La'Shay Taft sunk four from beyond the arc for 12 points. Taylor Ford also hit double figures in scoring with 10 points.
• The Orange capitalized on Hawk mistakes, scoring 53 points off of 31 UMES turnovers. Syracuse also dominated the post, tallying 36 points in the paint and grabbing 60 rebounds to UMES's 45.

NOVEMBERS TO REMEMBER
• With its four wins to start this season, Syracuse has run its winning streak in the month of November to 28 games. SU went 7-0 in November in 2012-13, its fourth-straight undefeated November.
• Since 2007, Syracuse is 33-3 (.917) in November. It has not lost since Nov. 26, 2008 at Alaska-Anchorage, 58-57.

IN THE POLLS
• Syracuse received three votes in this week's USA TODAY Coaches Poll after getting two the week before. It garnered 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.

THE ORANGE ZONE
• When people think 2-3 zone, they think Syracuse, and the women's program added to that lore. The Orange is holding its opponents to the second-lowest field goal percentage in the ACC at .279. In 2012-13, SU's opponents had the second-lowest shooting percentage in the BIG EAST and 18th-lowest nationally (.346).
• SU is also proving wrong the myth that zone teams are susceptible to 3-point shooting. SU held its opponents to the worst 3-point shooting percentage in the BIG EAST (.275) in 2012-13, and is second in the ACC this year (.188).

MASTER THIEVES
• The Orange boasts the best turnover margin in the ACC at +8.8 and has produced an average of 31.8 points per game this season off its opponents turnovers.
• Syracuse scored 53 points off 31 turnovers in its 113-42 win vs. Maryland Eastern Shore. SU totaled 18 steals by nine different players.
• SU's 2012-13 opponents averaged 20.3 turnovers per game, resulting in a +3.94 turnover margin. The Orange scored 20.5 points per game off turnovers.
• SU set a Carrier Dome record last season, recording 22 steals vs. Providence on Feb. 2, breaking the mark of 21 steals against Boise State on Dec. 30. The Dome record prior to this season was 20 on Dec. 14, 2008 vs. Niagara. The program record is 31 (vs. Marist on Jan. 11, 1980).

DOMINATING THE GLASS
• Dominant rebounding has become the norm for the Orange in recent years. Through four games, this season is no different as SU is averaging 53.0 rebounds per game and a +12.0 rebounding margin.
• SU leads the ACC in offensive rebounds per game at 22.3, grabbing 47.3 percent of the opportunities.
• The Orange has turned the offensive boards into 19.2 second-chance points per game.
• Syracuse averaged 44.0 rebounds per game in 2012-13, with the most impressive showing being a 61-35 advantage on Nov. 20 at St. Joe's.
• SU led the BIG EAST in offensive rebounds (17.6), ranked second in total rebounds per game (44.0), and was fourth in rebounding margin (+5.5).
• SU finished second in the NCAA in rebounding in 2011-12, averaging 46.2 per game and ranked 11th in rebounding margin (+8.9).
• SU led the NCAA in rebounding margin in 2010-11 at +13.4/game and outrebounded 31 of its 35 opponents.

LEARY BRINGS POST PRESENCE
• Following the loss of graduated senior and all-time leading scorer Kayla Alexander, Syracuse turns to a veteran to fill much of the loss in the middle. Redshirt-senior center Shakeya Leary steps into that role after serving a four-year apprenticeship under Alexander.
• Leary has posted a double-double in three of four games, averaging 12.0 points to go with her ACC-leading 12.8 rebounds per game.
• Leary started the season in impressive fashion on Nov. 10 at Washington State, scoring a career-high 21 points to go with 16 rebounds.
• Entering the season, the Brooklyn native had played in 102 games for SU, averaging 4.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 13.2 minutes per game. Along with her strong 6-3 frame, she possesses good ball skills and footwork, as well as a soft touch on mid-range jump shots.

SYKES SHOWS FLASHES OF BRILLIANCE
• Dynamic sophomore guard Brittney Sykes is being relied upon to pick up some of the production lost to graduation. The explosive and exciting guard leads the team at 21.0 points per game (third in the ACC) to go with 6.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.8 steals per game.
• She had a career-high 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting with six rebounds, three assists and three steals in the home opener vs. Dartmouth on Nov. 14.
• Sykes was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team last season after earning BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on two consecutive weeks, Dec. 31 and Jan. 7.
• The Newark, N.J. native and 2012 McDonald's All-American came on strong after acclimating to the college game, scoring in double figures in 11 out of the last 23 games, averaging 10.2 ppg, 6.3 rebounds and 2.4 steals over those 23 contests, after posting 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in the first nine.

BUTLER BRINGS OUTSIDE THREAT
• Freshman 5-11 guard Brianna Butler brought a new dimension to SU's offense in 2012-13 - a perimeter shooter on the wing that can stretch defenses. The King of Prussia, Pa. native started every game and averaged 7.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
• This season, Butler is averaging 13.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in a team-high 28.5 minutes per game. Her 4.0 assist to turnover ration is tied for the best in the ACC.
• She had a career game on Wednesday vs. UMES, scoring a personal-best 23 points on 7-of-11 3-point shooting.
• Butler, who was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team on March 8, led the Orange last season with 53 3-pointers, ranking 14th in the conference.
• She was a 2012 McDonald's and Parade All-American, starring at Nazareth Regional High School (N.Y.) as a senior.

UP NEXT
• Syracuse heads to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands next week for the Paradis Jam. The Orange will face Memphis, Texas and Texas A&M in games on Thursday through Saturday.

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