'Cuse Hosts Hartford on School Day

Syracuse (2-0, 0-0) vs. Hartford (1-2, 0-0)
Game Details: Monday, Nov. 20 | 11:00 a.m.
Location: Carrier Dome | Syracuse, N.Y.
Game Coverage: Watch | Live Stats | Audio | @CuseWBB Twitter
Game Notes: Syracuse

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse women's basketball team hosts the Hartford Hawks on School Day, when the Orange welcome over 5,000 area school students to the Carrier Dome. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. and fans can purchase tickets online, by phone at (1-888-DOMETIX) or at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B).

The Orange tallied their second win of the season Thursday night when they defeated Maryland Eastern Shore 68-45, marking the ninth time in Coach Quentin Hillsman's 12-year tenure that Syracuse has started the season 2-0.

Three Orange players recorded double-digit games, Miranda Drummond (19), Tiana Mangakahia (16) and Amaya Finklea-Guity (11). Mangakahia added 10 assists to poster her first career double-double and her second consecutive outing with 10+ assists.

The Hawks are 1-2 on the season, most recently coming off a 60-49 victory over Hofstra for Hartford's first win of the 2018-18 campaign. Senior Janelle Harrison leads the Hawks, averaging 11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Like Syracuse, Hartford seeks to force turnovers, tallying 13.3 steals and 23.3 points off turnovers each outing.

Series History
The teams have met twice before in program history, once in Hartford and once in a neutral site contest in Baton Rouge during the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The series sits tied, 1-1, as Hartford came out on top, 59-55, to advance to the second round of the Tournament in 2008. Syracuse found redemption four years later when it topped the Hawks, 59-42, in West Hartford.

Orange in the A.M.
Dating back to 2000, the Orange have played in six games that tipped off before 12 p.m. EST. In those six games, Syracuse has posted a record of 3-3, most recently tallying a 76-30 win over Coppin State on School Day in 2016.

Three of the six morning tips have come during the ACC Tournament, where 'Cuse topped No. 13 Clemson in 2014 but faced defeat against No. 4 North Carolina State and Wake Forest in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The Orange have played one NCAA Tournament game that tipped in the a.m. hours back in 2013 when they fell to Creighton, 61-56.

'Cuse at the Top
Two games into the season, Syracuse already ranks among the top teams in the nation in several key categories. As a team, the Orange rank third in the country in offensive rebounds per game (24) and eighth in the nation in total rebounds per game (52.50).

Syracuse is tied for 19 (fourth in the ACC) in turnovers forced at 25.50 per game, a key component of the Orange system that emphasizes creating opportunities and maximizing points per possession.

Individually, Mangakahia represents the Orange in the national rankings, coming in at second in the country for assists per game (10.0). Freshman Digna Strautmane sits tied for sixth for blocked shots per game, averaging 4.0 per contest.

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

Miranda Drummond

Amaya Finklea-Guity

Tiana Mangakahia

Digna Strautmane

Syracuse University Athletics