Syracuse University
Notre Dame
Orange Open ACC Play at Notre Dame
12/27/2017 8:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball
rv/23 Syracuse (12-1, 0-0) vs. 2/2 Notre Dame (11-1, 0-0)
Game Details: Thursday, Dec. 28 | 7:00 p.m.
Location: Purcell Pavilion | South Bend, Ind.
Game Coverage: Watch |Â Live Stats | Audio | @CuseWBB Twitter
Game Notes: Syracuse | Notre Dame
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Orange hit the road once more to take on No. 2/2 Notre Dame in the conference opener on Dec. 28. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game can be streamed on ACC Network Extra or heard on Syracuse IMG Radio Network with Brian Higgins ('04) on the play-by-play call.
Syracuse posted a 12-1 record in non-conference play, with the only loss of the season coming to No. 5/5 Mississippi State at the Duel in the Desert. The Orange have notched nine double-digit wins this season, including a season-best 40-point victory over Colgate earlier this month. Sophomore Tiana Mangakahia paces the Orange, averaging a double-double (16.0 points, 10.8 assists) per game this year. Junior Miranda Drummond (17.3) and sophomore Gabrielle Cooper (11.7) are also averaging double-figure outings this season, while freshman Digna Strautmane leads the Orange in rebounding with an average of 8.2 per game.
Notre Dame is off to a hot start this season, holding an 11-1 record heading into conference play. The Fighting Irish's only loss came at the hands of No. 1/1 Connecticut, an 81-70 defeat on Dec. 3. Notre Dame has recorded 15 straight wins at home, dating back to last season. Their roster is stacked with veteran talent as nine of the 13 players are upperclassmen. Junior Arike Ogunbowale leads the Fighting Irish, averaging 20.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, good for first in the ACC in scoring.
SERIES HISTORY
This is the 34th meeting between the Fighting Irish and the Orange with Notre Dame holding the 31-2 advantage. Syracuse has only bested the Irish twice in program history, first in 1989 when the Orange came out on top 63-56.
The most recent Syracuse victory came on March 3, 2002, when the Orange defeated 21/25 Notre Dame 84-79 in the Big East Tournament. In 20 of the 33 meetings, Â Notre Dame has been ranked and in nine of those 20 contests, the Fighting Irish have earned a top-5 nod.
'CUSE IN CONFERENCE PLAY
The Orange are 242-317 (.433) all-time in conference play with a 45-29 (.608) mark in ACC action (beginning in the 2013-14 season). Syracuse holds a 4-4 record in the ACC Tournament, including a 2-1 mark en route to the NCAA National Championship game in 2015-16.
Syracuse competes in one of the toughest conferences in the nation with four ACC teams appearing in the AP Top 25 this past week, including No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 3 Louisville. Seven ACC teams, Syracuse included, finished in the Top 25 at the end of the 2016-17 season.
In the 2016-17 campaign, Syracuse notched an 11-5 mark in conference play, marking the fifth consecutive season that the Orange won at least 10 conference games (one Big East, four ACC). Five years is the most consecutive seasons that Syracuse has posted 10+ conference games. From 1984-1988 (four straight seasons), the Orange also won at least 10 games in each of those years.
In the 11 seasons under Coach Hillsman, Syracuse holds a 96-80 record and has posted a winning record in conference play in seven of the 11 seasons.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
While a majority of the Orange's games have come at home in the Carrier Dome, Syracuse boasts a perfect 2-0 record in true road games. The Orange have recorded a 3-1 mark in neutral site games, with the only loss coming to a ranked Mississippi State team.
The Orange are outscoring opponents 143-117 in true road games this season and are averaging 73 points per game in contests away from the Carrier Dome. Syracuse is in the midst of a five-game stretch of road contests, not returning to the Dome until Jan. 4 when the team hosts Georgia Tech.
UP NEXT
The Orange stay on the road as they travel to Charlottesville, Va. to close out the 2017 calendar year against Virginia on Dec. 31. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and the game will air on ACC Network Extra and can be heard on Syracuse IMG Radio Network or Cuse.TV.
For the latest news on the Syracuse women's basketball program, follow /SyracuseWBB on Facebook, @CuseWBB on Instagram, and @CuseWBB on Twitter.
