Orange & Jays Meet at 11:20 a.m., ESPN2

Follow @SyracuseWBB

NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND No. 7 Syracuse (24-7) vs. No. 10 Creighton (24-7)
Game Details	Saturday, March 23 \| Knoxville, Tenn. \| 11:20 a.m. Thompson-Boling Arena \| Tickets \| Directions
Game Coverage	Syracuse Tournament Central TV: ESPN2 \| ESPN3 \| Watch ESPN App Radio: ESPN 97.7 FM/1200 AM (Brian Higgins), WJPZ 89.1 FM Orange All Access: Listen Twitter: @SyracuseWBB \| @Cuse Facebook: /SyracuseWBB
Syracuse Links	Game Notes \| Roster \| Schedule \| Stats
Creighton Links	Game Notes \| Roster \| Schedule \| Stats

Friday Video Recap | Press Conference Video | Syracuse T ranscript | Creighton Transcript

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - No. 22 Syracuse women's basketball (24-7) is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008 and fifth overall. The No. 7-seeded Orange will face 10th-seeded Creighton (24-7) in the first round at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday at 11:20 a.m. on ESPN2.
• The winner will face the winner of No. 2 Tennessee (24-7) vs. No. 15 Oral Roberts (18-12) (Sat., 1:30 p.m.) on Monday at Thompson-Boling Arena at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
• Syracuse has its best record ever through 31 games (24-7) and posted its best BIG EAST Conference record in 25 years (11-5). The Orange is ranked No. 22 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches Polls.

GAME COVERAGE
• Saturday's game will be televised on ESPN2 with Bob Wischusen and Nell Fortner on the call. It can also be watched online at ESPN3.com or the Watch ESPN App.
• 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. The game will also be broadcast on WJPZ 89.1 FM.
• SUAthletics.com will have live audio on Orange All Access, as well as live stats.
• Follow @SyracuseWBB on Twitter for in-game updates.

BACK IN THE NCAAS
• The Orange is making its NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008, head coach Quentin Hillsman's second season at SU, and its fifth all-time. Syracuse is looking for its first NCAA win, coming in with a 0-4 record (box scores p. 19).
• In its last NCAA Tournament appearance in 2008, SU received an at-large bid and a No. 7 seed, losing to 10th-seeded Hartford, 59-55, in the first round of the Oklahoma City Region in Baton Rouge, La., giving it a final record of 22-9. Current director of basketball operations Erica Morrow led SU with 17 points in the game.
• In 2002, Syracuse was an at-large and No. 10 seed, losing to seventh-seeded Darke, 87-69, in the first round of the East Region in Waco, Texas. SU finished 18-13.
• SU made the 40-team field in 1988 as an at-large and No. 6 seed in the Mideast Region, getting a first-round bye before losing to third-seed Ohio State, 116-75, in Columbus, Ohio. The Orange concluded the season 22-9.
• Syracuse's NCAA debut came in 1985 when it received the BIG EAST's automatic berth after winning the conference championship. SU was a No. 8 seed in the East Region in the 32-team field and lost to top-seed and eventual national champion Old Dominion, 88-63, in Norfolk, Va.

AN ORANGE WIN WOULD...
• ...be Syracuse's first in NCAA Tournament history.
• ...send SU to the second round where it will face the winner of Tennessee and Oral Roberts on Monday.
• ...give SU its 12th postseason victory overall (11-4 WNIT, 1-4 NCAA), all under head coach Quentin Hillsman.
• ...make SU 25-7, tying the program mark for record after 32 games with 1980-81.
• ...give SU 25 wins for the fourth-time in program history and tying 2009-10 (25-11) and 2010-11 (25-10) for second-most wins ever (26-8 in 1980-81).

BEST RECORD IN PROGRAM HISTORY
• Syracuse's 24-7 record is tied for the program's best ever after 31 games with 1980-81.
• In the BIG EAST, Syracuse's 11-5 mark was tied for its third-best conference record ever with 1986-87. It went 13-3 in 1987-88 and 12-4 in 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 won a BIG EAST Tournament game for the fourth year in a row, setting an all-time mark.

ORANGE IN THE TOP 25
• SU is ranked No. 22 in both this week's Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls. It has been 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.

SERIES HISTORY
• SU and Creighton have never played each other in women's basketball
• Syracuse is 2-1 all-time vs. current Missouri Valley Conference teams, going 1-1 vs. Drake and 1-0 vs. Northern Iowa. The most recent was a 87-69 loss to Drake on March 15, 2002 in the NCAA Tournament first round.
• SU has never played Tennessee or Oral Roberts.

SCOUTING CREIGHTON
• The Creighton, located in Omaha, Neb., is 24-7 overall and went 15-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference, splitting the regular season title with Wichita State.
• The Jays are coming off a 64-61 overtime loss to Illinois State in the MVC semifinals on March 16, snapping a n eight-game winning streak. They defeated Southern Illinois in the quarterfinals, 60-43.
• Creighton is second in the country in 3-point field goals per game (9.3) and is shooting the 12th-best percentage in the country behind the arc (.361).
• The Jays also share the ball well, ranking 15th in the NCAA in assists per game (16.6) and 16th in assist-turnover ratio (1.14).
• Freshman Marissa Janning, a 5-8 guard, is the top scorer at 13.0 ppg and leads the team in 3-pointers with 71, while shooting 41 percent from deep.
• Junior forward Sarah Nelson is the other double-fgure scorer, averaging 11.8 ppg and leads the club in rebounding at 7.9 per contest.
• Jim Flanery is in his 11th season as head coach of his alma mater. He has led the Jays to six straight postseason appearances, including the last two NCAA Tournaments.

#ORANGENATION SUCCESS
• Syracuse is one of only eight schools in the country to have both its men's and women's basketball teams in the NCAA Tournament and their football team have played in a bowl game (Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, UCLA).
• Of those seven, SU is one of only five to have won its bowl game (Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma State).

LAST TIME OUT
• With its highest seeding in 25 years, third-seeded Syracuse received a double-bye in its final BIG EAST Championship on March 8-12 in Hartford, Conn. The Orange defeated No. 6-seeded Villanova in the quarterfinals, 61-56, avenging two regular season losses to the Wildcats, before falling to No. 2-seed UConn, 64-51, in the semifinals.
• In the win vs. 'Nova, Kayla Alexander tied her career-high and set a SU BIG EAST tourney record with 34 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season and conference-leading 31st of her career. She helped lead a 16-0 first-half run that put the Orange in control and send it to its first semifinal since 2002.
• In the semifinal loss to the Huskies, Alexander scored 14 points and becoming the first player in program history to surpass 2,000 career points, finishing with 2,001. After UConn took a 39-24 lead at halftime, the Orange outscored the Huskies in the second half, 27-25, drawing within nine with 11:36 to go.

FOUR EARN ALL-BIG EAST HONORS
• Four Syracuse players were honored by the BIG EAST on March 8 as the conference announced its All-BIG EAST teams. Senior Kayla Alexander was named All-BIG EAST First Team, Brianna Butler and Brittney Sykes were named to the All-Freshman squad, and senior Carmen Tyson-Thomas was named the Sixth-Man of the Year.
• The four honorees is tied for the most ever for the No. 24/21 Orange with 2008, the year SU made its last NCAA Tournament appearance.

ALEXANDER: SETTING RECORDS
• First-team All-BIG EAST 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, and on March 11 vs. No. 3 UConn went over the 2,000-point plateau.
• She currently sits at 2,001 career points, third-most among active BIG EAST players (GU's Sugar Rodgers - 2,518, ND's Skylar Diggins - 2,270).
• Alexander has double-doubles in three of the last five games, with all three coming vs. NCAA Tournament teams (No. 2 Notre Dame and Villanova twice) She averaged 26.7 points and 14.0 rebounds in those three games, giving her 12 double-doubles on the season. She is the BIG EAST's active leader with 31 career double-doubles, seven more than anyone else.
• Earlier this season, she also became SU's all-time leader in field goals made, free throws made and blocks. Her 962 rebounds are second to Michael's (2007-10) school record of 996.
• She is two points away from Iasia Hemingway's single season scoring record of 552 points set last season.
• She was BIG EAST Player of the Week twice (Nov. 19, Dec. 10) and five times named 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 leads the Orange in scoring (17.7 ppg), rebounding (8.7 rpg) and blocks (3.0 bpg), ranking second, third and first, respectively, in the BIG EAST.

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 and 19th nationally (.346).
• 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 (.274).

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 sixth nationally in steals, averaging 12.4 per game.
• Syracuse's opponents are averaging 20.3 turnovers per game, resulting in a +3.84 turnover margin. The Orange is scoring 20.4 points per game off turnovers.
• SU recently had an 18-steal effort at Georgetown on Feb. 12 in which it forced 27 turnovers.
• 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 (2.3), Brittney Sykes (1.9 per game) leading the way.

DOMINATING THE GLASS
• Dominant rebounding has become the norm for the Orange in recent years. Syracuse is averaging 44.3 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 (17.6), ranks second in total rebounds per game (44.3), and is fourth in rebounding margin (+5.9).
• The Orange has turned its league-leading offensive rebounding into 16.5 second-chance points per game.
• Kayla Alexander (962) and Carmen Tyson-Thomas (897) rank second 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).
• SU led the NCAA in rebounding margin in 2010-11 at +13.4/game and outrebounded 31 of its 35 opponents.

SYKES EARNING ROOKIE HONORS
• Dynamic rookie guard Brittney Sykes was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team 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 22 games, averaging 10.5 ppg, 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 steals over those 22 contests, after posting 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in the first nine.

HALL DISPLAYS ALL-AROUND GAME
• Do-everything guard Elashier Hall has been just that for the Orange thus far in 2012-13, averaging 10.1 points and 5.9 rebounds, both third on the team, while contributing 2.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
• She closed the regular season with efforts of 14 points and nine rebounds on March 2 vs. Villanova and 10 points, five boards and six steals vs. No. 13 Louisville on March 4, her 12th and 13th games double-figure scoring games.
• Hall became the 23rd player in SU history to reach 1,000 career points with a career-high-tying 23 points at Cincinnati on Feb. 5. She joins fellow seniors Kayla Alexander and Carmen Tyson-Thomas as the only class in program history to have three 1,000-point scorers.
• Hall was the star for the Orange in its two wins in Puerto Rico at the San Juan Shootout (11/23-24), recording the fifth double-double of her career with 15 points and 11 rebounds vs. Georgia Tech and poured in 17 points, including the game-winning free throws with .4 seconds left vs. Virginia.
• Despite playing much of the latter half of last season on an injured knee, Hall finished strong, averaging 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in the final four games of the WNIT.

TYSON-THOMAS MAKES IMPACT
• BIG EAST Sixth-Man of the Year Carmen Tyson-Thomas, a starter for most of last season, moved into the role of sixth-man for the Orange and has not seen her production miss a beat, averaging 10.6 points and 6.2 rebounds, second on the team in both.
• The senior has averaged 16.8 points over the last four games of the regular season, scoring 17 on Feb. 22 at USF, 18 at No. 2 Notre Dame on Feb. 26, a 22-point effort on March 2 vs. Villanova, and 10 points and 12 rebounds on Senior Night vs. No. 13 Louisville on March 4.
• Her 10 points and 12 rebounds vs. the Cardinals was her second straight double-double and 21st of her career.
• She became the 22nd SU player to reach 1,000 career points in SU's 66-28 win vs. Wagner on Dec. 4.
• The Philadelphia native scored a season-high 23 points with 11 rebounds in Nov. 20's win at Saint Joseph's. She had a team-high 18 points in her hometown against Temple on Dec. 2.

1-2 POINT GUARD TANDEM
• The point guard tandem of freshman Cornelia Fondren and junior Rachel Coffey have been very effective in running the Orange offense, which is averaging 72.5 points per game, third in the BIG EAST and 16th in the NCAA.
• Coffey (21.4 minutes/game) and Fondren (18.3 minutes/game) combine for 7.4 assists per game, against 4.2 turnovers per game for a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Coffey has come off the bench in every game but one to rank fourth in the BIG EAST in assists (4.7 apg), while compiling an impressive 147-to-73 assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0) that ranks second-best in the BIG EAST. She had 12 assists vs. six turnovers vs. Villanova and No. 3 UConn in the BIG EAST Tournament.
• Coffey has been one of the top outside-shooting threats for the Orange all season, making 31 percent (36-117) of her shots from behind the arc.
• Coffey had her first career double-double at Temple on Dec. 2, dishing out a career-best 10 assists and scoring 11 points in a season-high 37 minutes.
• Fondren has started 29 of 31 games at the point. She has dished out 83 assists on the season, including 40 in BIG EAST play. Fondren had a career-high-tying six assists with no turnovers vs. Pitt on Feb. 16.
• The rookie played well against ACC competition in the Orange's wins in Puerto Rico, averaging four assists.
• Coffey ended the 2011-12 regular season on fire from the outside, shooting 24-of-52 (.462) from 3-point range in the last 10 games of the regular season, while averaging 3.2 assists per game in that stretch.

BUTLER BRINGS OUTSIDE THREAT
• Freshman 5-11 guard Brianna Butler has 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 has started every game and is averaging 7.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
• Butler, who was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team on March 8, leads the Orange with 52 3-pointers, ranking 13th in the conference.
• She was a 2012 McDonald's and Parade All-American, starring at Nazareth Regional High School (N.Y.) as a senior.

Syracuse University Athletics

Related News

Next Event

Related Videos