Syracuse Hosts #4 Notre Dame in ACC Opener

No. 21/22 Syracuse (10-3) vs. No. 4/4 Notre Dame (13-1)
Game Details: Sunday, January 4 | 1 p.m.
Location: Carrier Dome | Syracuse, N.Y.
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Audio | Video | @Cuse Twitter | @CuseWBB Twitter
Television: RSN (Affiliate list)
Game Notes: Syracuse

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The No. 21/22 Syracuse University women's basketball team opens Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) competition on Sunday afternoon against No. 4/4 Notre Dame. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at the Carrier Dome and will be broadcast on RSN, check with your local cable provider for listings.

In its last game, Syracuse defeated Central Connecticut State, 74-43, on Dec. 30. Senior guard Diamond Henderson led the team with 15 points and four assists against the Blue Devils. With the win, the Orange has won its last 69 non-conference matchups at home.

On Sunday afternoon, Syracuse opens ACC action with a bout against Notre Dame. In its inaugural season in the ACC, the team owned a 10-6 record in conference play, including wins against No. 6/6 North Carolina and RV/RV Georgia Tech.

Spark off the Bench
Senior guard Diamond Henderson has served the 2014-15 Syracuse women's basketball team as a spark off the bench thus far this season. She spearheads an Orange reserves unit that currently outscores the opposition's bench, 340-255. Henderson ranks third on the team in scoring and 27th in the ACC at 12.2 points per game.

The Kennesaw, Ga. native has scored at least 14 points in each of the club's last four games. Over that stretch, she has averaged 18.0 points per game. In addition, Henderson has scored at least 20 points on two different occasions thus far this season, which leads the club.

Henderson showed what she could do against the nation's elite on Dec. 19 against No. 9/9 Baylor at the Florida Sunshine Classic. She scored a season-best 27 points on 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc against the Lady Bears. It marked the first time that a member of the Orange eclipsed the 25-point plateau since Brianna Butler scored 25 points at Boston College on Feb. 16, 2014.

In her second game in an Orange uniform, Henderson exploded for 22 points in 22 minutes of play at Duquesne. She was a perfect 3-for-3 from downtown against the Dukes and was 5-for-6 from the free throw line. Including her first four seasons at Tennessee Tech, Henderson has scored in double-figures on 64 different occasions.

Conference Competition Begins
The team opens ACC play on Sunday afternoon with a date against No. 4/4 Notre Dame. In its first-ever game as a member of the league, Syracuse suffered a 67-61 setback at RV/RV North Carolina State on Jan. 5, 2014.

Under head coach Quentin Hillsman, the Orange owns a 3-5 record in conference openers. Syracuse opened the Hillsman era with a 61-59 victory against St. John's on Dec. 7, 2006 in its first conference game under its current head coach.

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Players Mentioned

Brianna Butler

Diamond Henderson

Syracuse University Athletics