Sykes, Slim Lead SU to Win Over Niagara

Thursday, December 19

Syracuse, N.Y.

7 p.m.

Syracuse University

10-1

Niagara

2-6

Niagara

Syracuse

12/19/2013 9:53:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

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SYRACUSE, N.Y.—Freshman Isabella Slim scored a career-high 17 points and Brittney Sykes had her third-straight 20-point performance to lead the No. 23/RV Syracuse women's basketball team (10-1) to an 80-44 victory over Niagara (2-6) on Thursday night in the Carrier Dome. With this win, SU has won 59 straight non-conference home games.

The Orange closes out its three-game homestand on Saturday, taking on Saint Joseph's at 1 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

Slim went a personal best 5-of-8 from beyond the arc and Shakeya Leary rounded out SU double-digit scorers with 13 points. Rachel Coffey scored nine points off 3-of-5 3-point shooting. Twelve Orange contributed to the Syracuse point column.

SU shot 35.8 percent from the field including a 40.6 percent showing in the first half. The Orange went 38.5 percent on 3-point attempts, hitting 7-of-14 in the opening 20 minutes. The Purple Eagles were held to 27.1 percent shooting and just 18.2 percent from long range (4-22).

Syracuse dominated in transition, outscoring Niagara 19-2 on fast breaks and 27-6 off 27 Purple Eagles turnovers. The Orange made its first 16 free throws on its way to finishing 22-of-28.

"Our goal for today was to get them in transition and to make plays and I was really happy with the way we ran and pushed tempo," head coach Quentin Hillsman said. "I thought our pressure was really good."

Syracuse held Niagara scoreless for 7:28 and denied the Purple Eagles a field goal for 9:21 in the middle of the first half. During that time, the Orange went on a 20-2 run to extend its lead to 28-8 with 8:13 remaining in the first stanza.

SU steadily built its lead over the course of the second half, starting off on a 14-6 run in the first four minutes. Syracuse held Niagara to just eight points in the final 11:17 of play while building its lead to 39, its largest of the game.