#21/18 'Cuse Heads To Tampa To Face USF

21/18 Syracuse (22-3, 10-2) vs. USF (18-7, 7-5)
Game Details	Saturday, Feb. 23 \| Tampa, Fla. \| 2 p.m. USF Sun Dome \| Tickets \| Directions
Game Coverage	TV: BIG EAST Network (TWCS/ESPN3/full list of affiliates) Radio: ESPN 97.7 FM/1200 AM (Brian Higgins), WJPZ 89.1 FM Orange All Access: Listen \| GoUSFBulls.com: Live Stats Twitter: @SyracuseWBB \| @Cuse Facebook: /SyracuseWBB
Syracuse Links	Game Notes \| Roster \| Schedule \| Stats
USF Links	Game Notes \| Roster \| Schedule \| Stats

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - No. 21/18 Syracuse women's basketball (22-3, 10-2) travels to Tampa to face USF (18-7, 7-5) on Saturday in a 2 p.m. tip-off at the Sun Dome on the BIG EAST Network.

• Syracuse has its best record in program history through 25 games and its best record through 12 conference games in 25 years.
• SU's 10-2 BIG EAST record is third in the conference standings behind Notre Dame (12-0) and Connecticut (11-1), and a game and a half ahead of Louisville (9-4).
• The Orange is coming off 58-45 victory vs. Rutgers on Tuesday, running its record to a perfect 12-0 at the Carrier Dome this season.
• Syracuse is ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press Poll and is No. 18 in the latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll, its highest ranking ever in either major poll.

GAME COVERAGE
• The game is being televised on the BIG EAST Network with Bob Picozzi and LaChina Robinson on the call. Time Warner Cable Sports (channels 19 and 813) will carry the game in the Syracuse area and throughout much of Upstate New York.
• All the Orange's games can be heard live on SU's flagship station, ESPN 97.7 FM/1200 AM, and on Orange All-Access at SUAthletics.com with Brian Higgins '04 on the call. Saturday's game will also be on WJPZ 89.1 FM.
• SUAthletics.com will have links to live video, audio and free live stats links.
• As always, follow @SyracuseWBB on Twitter for live in-game updates.

AN ORANGE WIN WOULD...
• ...be SU's third straight over the Bulls and give it a 6-5 advantage in the all-time series.
• ...make SU 3-2 at USF.
• ...make SU 23-3 for the first time in program history, three games better than the previous best through 26 games, 20-6 in 1980-81 and 2007-08.
• ...give SU 23 or more wins for the fourth time in program history.
• ...make SU 11-2 in BIG EAST play for just the second time in program history and first time in 25 years, tying the school record set in 1987-88.
• ...run its conference winning streak to seven games, the longest in program history.

BEST START IN PROGRAM HISTORY
• Syracuse's 22-3 record is the program's best ever after 25 games, surpassing 2007-08, Quentin Hillsman's second season as head coach, and 1980-81 when it was 19-6. It has also already matched last year's total (22-15).
• In the BIG EAST, Syracuse's 10-2 mark ties its all-time best after 12 games with the 1987-88 season.
• SU's current six-game BIG EAST winning streak ties its longest ever, matching streaks in 1987-88 and 1985-86.
• SU blitzed through its non-conference slate with 12-1 record, tied for the second-best regular season non-conference record in program history.
• The Orange went 13-0 in regular season non-conference games in 2009-10. This season's 12-1 mark matches 2007-08 and 2010-11.
• The top six non-conference regular seasons have come in Quentin Hillsman's seven seasons as head coach.

ALEXANDER: SETTING RECORDS
• Senior center Kayla Alexander continues to rewrite the SU record book as she cements herself as one of the greatest players in program history. She became SU's all-time leading scorer on Jan. 26 at Villanova, passing Nicole Michael's (2007-10) 1,787 points with a layup at the 1:03 mark of the first half, finishing the game with 1,791.
• Following her seven-point effort vs. Rutgers on Tuesday, she currently sits at 1,880 career points, third-most among active BIG EAST players (Sugar Rodgers - 2,369, Skylar Diggins - 2,131).
• Alexander had 13 points and 10 rebounds in the last week's win over Georgetown for her ninth double-double of the season and 28th of her career, the most of any active BIG EAST player.
• Earlier this season, she also became SU's all-time leader in field goals made, free throws made and blocks.
• She has twice been BIG EAST Player of the Week (Nov. 19, Dec. 10) and four times to the weekly honor roll.
• Alexander scored a career-high 34 points, single-handedly outscoring Wagner in SU's 66-28 win on Dec. 4. Her night included a Carrier Dome-record 14 field goals made. It was the most points scored in a game by an SU player since Nicole Michael's 36 vs. Binghamton on Nov. 22, 2009.
• Alexander passed Holly Oslander (1989-94) to become Syracuse's all-time blocks leader with eight rejections in the opener vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (11/11). She now has 341to Oslander's 262.
• Alexander, a two-time All-BIG EAST selection and preseason All-Conference honoree, leads the Orange in scoring (17.2 ppg), rebounding (8.4 rpg) and blocks (3.4 bpg), ranking third, third and first, respectively, in the BIG EAST.

HIGHEST RANKING EVER FOR THE 'CUSE
• SU is ranked No. 18 in this week's USA TODAY Coaches Poll, its highest ranking ever in either of the major polls by three spots. The previous best was No. 21 (AP - 2/18/13 & 2/11/08).
• Syracuse is ranked No. 21 in this week's AP top 25 poll, tying its highest AP ranking ever. SU was also No. 21 on Feb. 11, 2008. This is the Orange's third straight week being ranked.

ORANGE ROAD SHOW
• The Orange is a combined 10-3 in away and neutral site games this season.
• Syracuse opened the season by playing seven of eight games away from the Carrier Dome, going 6-1, including 4-1 on the opponent's court. SU's 4-0 away-game record in November was the best among all BCS conference teams, ahead of Arkansas (3-0) and Arizona (3-0). Its 6-0 record in neutral-site and away games combined was also the best among major conference teams.
• Going back to last season, SU played 15 out of 16 away from home between the regular season finale on Feb. 27 and this season's eighth game on Dec. 2.
• The Orange's 10-5 record on the road in 2011-12 was the best in program history in terms of wins and is the best in terms of winning percentage (.667) since 1978-79 (7-1, .875).
• In last season's WNIT, Syracuse won four consecutive away games for the first time in 22 years.

SERIES HISTORY
• Syracuse is 5-5 all-time against the Bulls, including 2-2 in Tampa. SU's has won the last two meetings.
• On Feb. 4, 2012, Iasia Hemingway scored 24 points to lead the Orange to a 76-61 victory over USF at the Carrier Dome. Kayla Alexander and Elashier Hall added 17 and 14 points, respectively, as SU was in control all game and led by as many as 33 with 12 minutes left. Andrell Smith led USF with 18 points and eight rebounds.
• Two seasons ago, on Jan. 29, 2011 at the Carrier Dome, Alexander scored 17 points to lead SU to a 78-57 win. Andrea Smith led USF with 23 points.
• The last time the teams played at the Sun Dome was on Jan. 16, 2010, a 73-64 win by USF. Juanita Ward led five Orange in double figures with 15 points.

SCOUTING USF
• USF is 18-7 overall, including a 7-5 mark in BIG EAST play, good for tied for sixth in the standings.
• The Bulls are coming off their biggest win of the season, a 73-62 upset of No. 12 Louisville on Wednesday night at the KFC Yum! Center. USF shot 50 percent from behind the arc, led by 5-of-6 from Andrea Smith as she led all scorers with 25, and controlled the boards, 43-34.
• The win made it four out of the last five for USF, also beating Pitt, Providence and Seton Hall, while its most recent loss was on Feb. 13 vs. St. Johns, 65-59.
• Andrea Smith has returned from a torn ACL that kept her out of the 2011-12 season to lead the Bulls with 17.0 points per game, fourth in the BIG EAST. The 5-8 guard is shooting 42 percent from 3-point range. Her twin sister, Andrell, is second on the team, averaging 14.0 ppg and is shooting 34 percent behind the arc.
• In hist 12th season as head coach, Jose Fernandez has led the Bulls to eight postseason appearances in nine years, including the 2009 WNIT title.

LAST TIME OUT
• Syracuse won its sixth straight game by defeating Rutgers, 58-45, at the Carrier Dome on Tuesday night. Rachel Coffey scored a season-high 17 points to lead SU. The win snapped SU's three-game skid against the Scarlet Knights.
• The Orange held Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer to 899 career wins, putting off her bid to become the seventh NCAA coach, men's or women's, to reach 900 wins, joining SU men's basketball coach Jim Boeheim.
• After seven lead changes in a game dominated by the defenses, SU put together an 11-0 second-half run between the 10:31 and 7:40 marks to break out to an 11-point lead, 38-27. Both Alexander and Sykes added three points apiece during the run that lasted 2:51.

DOMINATING THE GLASS
• Dominant rebounding has become the norm for the Orange in recent years. Syracuse is averaging 44.8 rebounds per game, with the most impressive showing being a 61-35 advantage on Nov. 20 at St. Joe's.
• SU leads the BIG EAST in offensive rebounds (18.3), is second in total rebounds per game (44.8) and third in rebounding margin (+6.7).
• Kayla Alexander (904) and Carmen Tyson-Thomas (854) rank fourth and fifth on the Syracuse career rebounding list.
• SU finished second in the NCAA in rebounding in 2011-12, averaging 46.2 per game and ranked 11th in rebounding margin (+8.9).
• Syracuse led the NCAA in rebounding margin in 2010-11 at +13.4 per game. SU outrebounded 31 of its 35 opponents.

THE ORANGE ZONE
• When people think 2-3 zone, they think Syracuse, and the women's program is adding to that lore in 2012-13. The Orange is holding its opponents to the second-lowest shooting percentage in the BIG EAST (.340).
• The Orange is also proving wrong the myth that zone teams are susceptible to 3-point shooting. SU is holding its opponents to the worst 3-point shooting percentage in the league (.259). USF ranks right behind SU in both stats with the third-best field goal pct. defense (.351) and second-best 3-point pct. defense (.276).

MASTER THIEVES
• Syracuse's fullcourt pressure defense and aggressive 2-3 zone in the halfcourt have resulted in the Orange leading the BIG EAST and ranking third nationally in steals, averaging 13.6 per game.
• SU recently had an 18-steal effort at Georgetown on Feb. 12 in which it forced 27 turnovers, and had 14-steal efforts vs. Pitt and Rutgers in the two games since.
• SU set a Carrier Dome record for the second time this 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).
• SU's thievery has been a balanced effort, with Elashier Hall (2.2), Brittney Sykes (2.2 per game) leading the way.
• Syracuse's opponents are averaging 21.9 turnovers per game, resulting in a +5.24 turnover margin.

UP NEXT
• Syracuse closes its BIG EAST road slate on Tuesday at No. 2 Notre Dame. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

Syracuse University Athletics

Related News

Next Event

Related Videos