Syracuse Hosts UTRGV on New Year's Day

RV/RV Syracuse (9-3, 0-0) vs. UTRGV (8-6, 0-0)
Game Details: Friday, January 1 | 12:00 p.m.
Location: Carrier Dome | Syracuse, N.Y.
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Audio | Video | @CuseWBB Twitter
Game Notes: Syracuse | UTRGV

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The RV/RV Syracuse University women's basketball team will ring in the New Year with a game against UTRGV on Friday afternoon in the Carrier Dome. Tipoff is slated for 12 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased online, by phone at 1-888-DOMETIX, or by visiting the Carrier Dome box office (Gate B) during normal business hours. The box office will open two hours prior to tipoff against Howard.

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.

In its last contest, Syracuse recorded a 97-48 victory against Howard on Dec. 30. Senior guard Cornelia Fondren recorded the third triple-double in program history against the Bison. Junior center Briana Day tallied at least 20 points for the second straight game.

UTRGV enters Friday's game with an 8-6 overall record. The Vaqueros defeated Evangel, 75-60, on Dec. 30 to clinch a .500 record in regular season non-conference competition. Junior guard Shawnte' Goff led the team with 21 points.

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 second in the country with 14.5 steals per game.

Similar to last season, senior guard Cornelia Fondren and junior guard Alexis Peterson are leading the charge in that front. Fondren currently ranks second in the ACC and 13th nationally with 3.25 steals per game. Peterson averages 3.17 steals per contest, which ranks third in the league and 17th 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. Fondren replicated Peterson's feat 11 games later against Howard on Dec. 30.

Last Time Out
Behind the program's first triple-double since the 1983-84 season, Syracuse recorded a 97-48 victory against Howard on Dec. 30 in the Carrier Dome. Senior guard Cornelia Fondren recorded 12 points, 10 rebounds, and a program-record 10 steals.

Fondren joined Martha Mogish and Chris Palombi as the only three student-athletes in program history to record triple-doubles in a single game. With 10 steals on the night, the Memphis, Tenn. native matched the Syracuse single-game steals record, which was set by junior guard Alexis Peterson in the season opener at Rhode Island on Nov. 13.

Behind Fondren's effort, Syracuse erupted for 97 points on Wednesday evening against Howard. It marked the most points scored by the Orange since the squad set the program record with 113 points against Maryland Eastern Shore on Nov. 20, 2013.

It was all Orange in the Carrier Dome on Wednesday night. The visiting Bison took an early 2-0 lead, but would not hold an advantage for the rest of the contest. Syracuse was able to stretch its lead out to 54 points at the end of the fourth quarter, its largest lead during the 2015-16 campaign.

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

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Briana Day

Cornelia Fondren

Alexis Peterson

Syracuse University Athletics