#20/25 Syracuse Visits #5 Maryland Wednesday

No. 20/25 Syracuse (4-1, 0-0) at No. 5/5 Maryland (6-0, 0-0)
Game Details: Wednesday, December 2 | 7:00 p.m.
Location: XFINITY Center | College Park, Md.
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Audio | Video | @CuseWBB Twitter
Television: Big Ten Network
Game Notes: Syracuse

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The No. 20/25 Syracuse University women's basketball team will play a nationally-ranked foe for the second time in 2015-16 when it faces No. 5/5 Maryland as a part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Wednesday night. Tipoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Md.

The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network with Kevin Kugler (pbp) and Christy Winters Scott (analyst) on the call. Brian Higgins '04 (pbp) will be on the call live on the Syracuse IMG Sports Network. As always, follow @CuseWBB on Twitter for live in-game updates.

Syracuse is coming off a 76-54 drubbing of in-state foe Fordham at the South Point Shootout in Las Vegas on Nov. 28. Junior guard Alexis Peterson notched a season-high 25 points against the Rams. It marked the most points scored by an Orange player in 2015-16.

Maryland enters Wednesday night's contest with a perfect 6-0 overall record. The Terrapins won the Paradise Jam Reef Division title after defeating Pittsburgh, 70-49, on Nov. 28. Junior center Brionna Jones was named the tournament's most valuable player.

Pressure Defense
Under head coach Quentin Hillsman, Syracuse has constantly applied pressure with its full-court pressure defense. The effects of this defense could not be more evident than its amount of steals per game. Currently, the Orange ranks first in the Atlantic Coast Conference and fourth in the country with 14.4 steals per game.

Similar to last season, junior guard Alexis Peterson and senior guard Cornelia Fondren are leading the charge in that front. Peterson currently leads the ACC and ranks third nationally with 4.60 steals per game. Fondren averages 2.60 steals per contest, which ranks ninth in the league and 80th in the country.

In the season opener at Rhode Island on Nov. 13, Peterson put on one of the best defensive displays in program history. The Columbus, Ohio native recorded 10 steals on the night, setting a Syracuse single-game record. Janice Long held the previous record, recording nine steals against Iona on Jan. 15, 1984.

Last Time Out
Syracuse used a huge fourth quarter to roll past Fordham, 76-54, in its second game of the South Point Shootout in Las Vegas on Nov. 28. The Orange outscored its opposition, 29-12, in the final 10 minutes of regulation.

SU began the fourth quarter up five points against its in-state foe. The Orange broke the game open with a 16-0 run, its longest run of the year, to take a 21-point advantage with 6:19 remaining in the contest.

Junior guard Alexis Peterson finished with a full stat sheet on the night; netting 25 points to lead all scorers, dishing out eight assists, collecting five steals, and pulling down one rebound. Peterson's 25 points marked the most scored by a Syracuse player during the 2015-16 season.

Redshirt junior guard Brittney Sykes tallied 18 points on an efficient 8-of-9 shooting night. It marked the most points scored by Sykes thus far this year. Senior guard Brianna Butler finished with 10 points, her 14th straight game in double figures.

For the latest news on the Syracuse women's basketball program, follow /SyracuseWBB on Facebook, @CuseWBB on Instagram, and @CuseWBB on Twitter.

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Players Mentioned

Brianna Butler

Cornelia Fondren

Alexis Peterson

Brittney Sykes

Syracuse University Athletics