Dynamic Duo Dominates the Wildcats

The Orange rolled to an 81-74 victory over Northwestern on Thursday night thanks to a pair of huge outings by sophomore guard Tiana Mangakahia and redshirt junior forward Miranda Drummond. The dynamic duo combined for 55 of Syracuse's 81 total points and each recorded a double-double in the game.

Drummond led the Orange in points (29) and rebounds (11) in 37 minutes of action on the court, propelling the team to victory. She shot 12-of-22 from the field with three 3-point baskets and two made free throws. The forward set a new career-high with 29 points and posted her second double-double of the season.

A large part of Drummond's success came from her partner-in-crime on the court, Mangakahia. The guard recorded an assist on eight of Drummond's 12 baskets. The chemistry between the two newcomers was a key component to the Orange's domination on offense.

"They are both very smart basketball players and I think that's most of it," said head coach Quentin Hillsman. "Miranda has a really good sense of when to go backdoor and when to cut hard to the rim to get layups. We all know that, if she does that, then Tiana is going to find her. She's a smart player and Tiana is a fantastic passer."

Mangakahia dished out 12 assists against the Wildcats for her seventh consecutive game with 10 or more assists this season. She is the only NCAA Division I basketball player, male or female, with 10+ assists in seven straight games.

"When Tiana drives, we make eye contact and she gives a head nod like 'I got you,'" said Drummond. "It's just instinct to go backdoor."

The Australia native is on pace to smash the Syracuse single-season record for assists (231) set by Alexis Peterson last season. When she's not working as a play-maker, Mangakahia puts up big numbers of her own. She eclipsed the 20-point mark for the first time in her career, posting a career-high 26 points against Northwestern.

"The connection [with Drummond] really formed over the summer," said Mangakahia. "It happened the first time we played with each other."

Mangakahia, Drummond and the rest of the Orange are back in action on Sunday, Dec. 3 when they take on Stony Brook. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. in the Carrier Dome and the game will be aired on ACC Network Extra.

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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Miranda Drummond

Tiana Mangakahia

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