Women's Basketball Travels to #13/12 Duke

No. 21 Syracuse (10-4, 0-1) at No. 13/12 Duke (10-4, 1-0)
Game Details: Thursday, January 8 | 6:30 p.m.
Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium | Durham, N.C.
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Audio | Video | @Cuse Twitter | @CuseWBB Twitter
Television: ESPN3
Game Notes: Syracuse

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – For the second straight game, the No. 21 Syracuse University women's basketball team will take on a nationally-ranked opponent when it travels to No. 13/12 Duke on Thursday night. The top-25 clash is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3, as well.

In the team's last game, Syracuse lost 85-74 to No. 4 Notre Dame. Senior guard Diamond Henderson and junior guard Brianna Butler each recorded 19 points in the loss.

Thursday's contest marks the fifth top-25 foe Syracuse has faced thus far in the 2014-15 season. All four of the team's losses have come to nationally-ranked competition, by an average margin of 7.5 points.

Ford Tough
Junior forward Taylor Ford is one of seven players on the Syracuse women's basketball team to play in every game during the 2014-15 season. Ford plays in an average of 21.1 minutes per game, which ranks sixth on the squad. In addition, she ranks third on the team in rebounds, pulling down an average of 4.6 boards per contest.

The Bronx, N.Y. native currently averages 6.6 points per game, which is the sixth-best scoring average on the Orange women's basketball team. She scored at least nine points in each of the club's first three games of the 2014-15 campaign.

In the second game of the Florida Sunshine Classic on Dec. 21, Ford kept Syracuse in the contest against Michigan State. She tallied a season-high 14 points against the Spartans, matching her season-best with five made field goals.

At the Junkanoo Jam against South Carolina on Nov. 28, Ford had a career day. She pulled down a season-best eight rebounds, four shy of her career-high. In addition, she dished out four assists, which marked the most she had recorded in a single game in her collegiate career.

Ford had a great showing on Jan. 4 against No. 4/4 Notre Dame, as well. The junior forward scored 12 points, two shy of her season-high, and pulled down eight rebounds, matching the most she had recorded during the 2013-14 campaign. She recorded eight points and six boards in the opening 20 minutes against the 2014 national runner-up.

Spread the Wealth
It is hard for opposing defenses to lockdown on one specific player when it comes to the Syracuse offense. Currently, three different players average at least 12.7 points per game for the Orange, giving the team many options when looking for point production.

Sophomore guard Alexis Peterson averages a team-high 13.8 points per game in her first season as a full-time starter. Junior guard Brianna Butler scores at a clip of 13.1 points per contest, while senior guard Diamond Henderson averages 12.7 points a game. The trio all rank in the top 24 in the ACC in scoring. Syracuse is the only team in the league to boast three players in the top 24, as well.

Series Breakdown
Syracuse and Duke will meet for the third time on the hardwood on Thursday night in Durham, N.C. It marks the Orange's first trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium, as the two first met on a neutral floor on Dec. 30, 1995 and last met at the Carrier Dome last season. Duke has won both previous meetings against Syracuse.

Last year, the visiting Blue Devils scored an 86-53 victory on Jan. 9, 2014. Similar to this year's conference schedule, it was the Orange's second-ever ACC matchup when it faced Duke. Brianna Butler paced the home team with 14 points, knocking down four 3-point field goals.

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Players Mentioned

Brianna Butler

Taylor Ford

Diamond Henderson

Alexis Peterson

Syracuse University Athletics