Orange Defeat #10/9 Florida State on Senior Day

Thursday, February 18

Carrier Dome

7:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

21-6 (11-3)

#10/9 Florida State

21-5 (11-2)

Florida State

Syracuse

2/18/2016 10:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Syracuse beats third ranked opponent in 2015-16

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Knocking down four from behind the arc in the first quarter, senior guard Brianna Butler helped power the No. 23/18 Syracuse women's basketball team to an 83-73 victory against 10/9 Florida State on Senior Day at the Carrier Dome on Thursday night.

"I was very happy with our kids just sticking to our game plan," head coach Quentin Hillsman said. "The game plan was just real simple, just get them down in transition and play fast, let's get our pressure set and then scramble them a little."

The victory marked the Orange's third win against a ranked opponent this year, beating No. 12/12 Duke and No. 16/17 Miami earlier in conference play. It is the most ranked wins in a season under Hillsman and the most since the 2001-02 season.

Butler's performance in the first quarter gave Syracuse (21-6, 11-3) a 10-point advantage over Florida State (21-5, 11-2). The Seminoles tied the game up at 31, but a 3-point field goal from redshirt senior guard Maggie Morrison helped Syracuse to regain the lead. Consistency from senior guard Cornelia Fondren at the free-throw line, shooting 6-6 in the first half, sent the Orange into the locker room with the 47-44 advantage.

Back-to-back layups from junior center Briana Day and junior guard Alexis Peterson set the Orange off in the second half. The Seminoles were able to pull within three, but the Orange did not relinquish their lead. Three points, the old-fashioned way, from redshirt junior guard Brittney Sykes less than a minute into the fourth quarter solidified the victory for Syracuse.

Peterson paced the squad with 17 points on the night. Four Orange joined Peterson in scoring 15 or more points on the night including Butler (16), Sykes (15), and senior forward Taylor Ford (15). Ford shot an impressive 5-for-7 from 3-point range.

Syracuse will finish its regular season on the road, playing its last two games at Pittsburgh on Sunday at 3 p.m. and at Boston College on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m.

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