#23 Syracuse Visits Clemson in Regular Season Finale

Thursday, February 26

Clemson, S.C.

7 p.m.

Syracuse University

Clemson

#23 Syracuse Visits Clemson in Regular Season Finale

2/25/2015 9:19:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Looking to lock up the No. 5 seed for the ACC Tournament

No. 23/RV Syracuse (20-8, 10-5) at Clemson (9-18, 1-13)
Game Details: Thursday, February 26 | 7 p.m.
Location: Littlejohn Coliseum | Clemson, S.C.
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Audio | Video | @Cuse Twitter | @CuseWBB Twitter
Television: ESPN3
Game Notes: Syracuse

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The No. 23/RV Syracuse University women's basketball team will take on Atlantic Coast Conference-opponent Clemson on Thursday night on the road in its 2014-15 regular season finale. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3, as well.

In Syracuse's last contest, the team outscored its opposition by 20 points over the final 20 minutes of play to score a 68-54 victory against Pittsburgh on Feb. 22. Down six points at halftime, the Orange outscored the Panthers, 33-13, to take its eighth straight win against its ACC foe. Junior guard Brianna Butler paced the squad with 19 points, her fourth straight contest with at least 19 points scored.

With the club's victory against Pittsburgh, Syracuse reached several plateaus. The Orange scored its 20th win of the season, making it the sixth straight year with at least 20 victories. SU scored its 10th win of conference competition, its third season in-a-row doing so. In addition, Syracuse completed its home slate with 13 victories, making it the second time in three years SU has won 13 games at the Carrier Dome.

Jack of all Trades
Junior Cornelia Fondren is certainly not your typical 5-foot-8 guard. Not often does a guard account for just under 14 percent of a squad's total rebounding, but that is the type of player Fondren is. Currently, she ranks second on the team in rebounding, averaging 5.6 boards per game. Even more impressive is her offensive rebounding, where she averages 2.8 offensive rebounds per contest.

The glass is not the only place where Fondren contributes. She ranks second on the team in assists and steals, averaging 2.75 assists and 2.14 steals per game for the Orange. In addition, her 6.9 points per game average is the fifth-best average on the team.

Fondren recorded her third double-double of her collegiate career at Pittsburgh on Jan. 22. She tallied 13 points, one shy of her career-best, and 10 rebounds, also one less than her personal-high. The junior guard and sophomore center Briana Day each tallied double-doubles for the third time in 2014-15.

Against Cornell on Dec. 28, Fondren tallied her second double-double of her collegiate career. She recorded 10 points and a personal-best 11 rebounds against the Big Red. It marked the second time she and sophomore center Briana Day had collected double-doubles in the same contest in 2014-15, as well.

The Memphis, Tenn. native had a career night against Vermont on Dec. 1. She set career-highs with 14 points and five steals. Her five steals are the most by a Syracuse player during the 2014-15 season.

She followed up her effort against Vermont with another spectacular showing against Penn State on Dec. 4. Fondren recorded her first double-double of her collegiate career, tallying 10 points and 10 boards. It marked the third consecutive game she scored in double-figures, as well.

Postseason Scenarios
With its victory against Pittsburgh on Feb. 22, Syracuse guaranteed itself of a top-seven seed and a first-round bye in the upcoming Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. The Orange can still earn a double-bye, by virtue of earning the fourth seed in the 15-team tournament.

To earn the fourth seed, Syracuse would have to defeat Clemson and Duke would have to lose its final two contests. Duke takes on Georgia Tech on the road on Thursday night then hosts North Carolina in its regular season finale on Sunday.

The Orange would earn the fifth seed in the conference tournament with a victory against Clemson. If it were to lose to Clemson, Syracuse would earn the fifth seed if both North Carolina and Miami were to lose one of their final two contests.

Series Breakdown
Syracuse and Clemson will hit the court for the fourth time in history on Thursday night at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C. It marks the first time that Syracuse will travel to Clemson, as its three previous meetings have consisted of two neutral court contests and one at the Carrier Dome. The Orange have come out victories in all three games it has played against the Tigers.

In their last meeting, Syracuse defeated Clemson, 63-53, in its first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament game. Guard Brittney Sykes was the only Orange to crack double-digits in scoring, finishing with 10 points. Seven different players scored at least six points for Syracuse.