Another Historic Year for Women's Hoops
4/3/2017 10:42:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Advanced to the NCAA Tournament second round for the fourth straight year
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse women's basketball program continued its upward trend among the nation's elite in 2016-17, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season. Syracuse is one of 15 teams nationally to have won at least one game in each of the past four NCAA Tournaments.
The Orange finished the 2016-17 campaign with a 22-11 overall record, its eighth straight year with at least 20 victories. The club notched an 11-5 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference competition, which was good enough for a sixth-place showing. SU knocked off four nationally ranked opponents in the regular season, a program record.
ALL-AMERICAN BACKCOURT
Senior guard Alexis Peterson and redshirt senior guard Brittney Sykes combined to average 42.6 points per game on the season, holding the title of America's top-scoring backcourt. Syracuse and Connecticut were the only two teams in the country to have two players each tally more than 19.0 points per contest.
Peterson was named an All-American by three organizations, collecting WBCA Division I Coaches All-America Team, Associated Press All-America Second Team, and espnW All-America Honorable Mention plaudits. Sykes notched WBCA Division I Coaches All-America Honorable Mention accolades. It marked the first time in Orange women's basketball history that two student-athletes were named All-Americans in the same year.
"PISTOL" PETERSON
Peterson cemented herself as one of the top players in the country in her final season on campus. The Columbus, Ohio native was a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award and Dawn Staley Award and became the first student-athlete in program history to collect conference player of the year honors when she was named the Blue Ribbon Panel ACC Player of the Year.
The senior guard averaged 23.4 points and 7.0 assists per game on the year, setting the Syracuse single-season marks. She finished the season ranked sixth nationally in scoring and 11th in the country in helpers.
Without a doubt, Peterson's defining moment came when she poured in a Syracuse women's basketball record 45 points in an 85-75 win against No. 23/22 NC State on Jan. 12. It marks the most points scored by an individual in the history of the Carrier Dome, by a male or female.
BACK ON TOP AGAIN
Following two season-ending injuries, Sykes reestablished herself as one of the nation's top talents in her fifth and final year. The Newark, N.J. native collected her third all-conference honor of her collegiate career after tallying 19.2 points and 7.8 boards per contest.
Sykes finished her career ranked third in program history with 1,846 points scored. In addition, she played in 101 victories in her time on campus, making her the winningest player in Orange women's basketball history.
DAY JOINS ELITE CLUB
Senior center Briana Day became the program's all-time leading rebounder and exits campus with 1,142 career boards. In the process, Day became the first Syracuse women's basketball player to post at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career.
DEEP THREAT
Freshman guard Gabby Cooper came in and was asked to fill the shoes of the program's all-time 3-point field goals made leader Brianna Butler. Cooper put together the best rookie season from beyond the arc in Orange women's basketball history, knocking down 81 3-point field goals en route to ACC All-Freshman Team honors.
In the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 18, Cooper came out firing and knocked down a Syracuse single-game record eight 3-point field goals in an 85-65 win against Iowa State. The Lansing, Ill. product made 17 3-pointers in the final three games of the year.
WINNINGEST COACH IN PROGRAM HISTORY
With the Orange's 88-62 win at Clemson on Jan. 5, head coach Quentin Hillsman became the winningest coach in Syracuse women's basketball history. In his 11 years at the helm, the squad owns a 241-127 overall record.
In his time as head coach, the Orange boast an impressive résumé, which includes 10 consecutive postseason appearances, six trips to the NCAA Tournament, 12 all-conference selections, and four All-Americans.
For the latest news on the Syracuse women's basketball program, follow /SyracuseWBB on Facebook, @CuseWBB on Instagram, and @CuseWBB on Twitter.
Be a part of the 2017-18 season, order season tickets today! $75 for general admission and $125 for courtside tickets. One can purchase tickets here.
The Orange finished the 2016-17 campaign with a 22-11 overall record, its eighth straight year with at least 20 victories. The club notched an 11-5 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference competition, which was good enough for a sixth-place showing. SU knocked off four nationally ranked opponents in the regular season, a program record.
ALL-AMERICAN BACKCOURT
Senior guard Alexis Peterson and redshirt senior guard Brittney Sykes combined to average 42.6 points per game on the season, holding the title of America's top-scoring backcourt. Syracuse and Connecticut were the only two teams in the country to have two players each tally more than 19.0 points per contest.
Peterson was named an All-American by three organizations, collecting WBCA Division I Coaches All-America Team, Associated Press All-America Second Team, and espnW All-America Honorable Mention plaudits. Sykes notched WBCA Division I Coaches All-America Honorable Mention accolades. It marked the first time in Orange women's basketball history that two student-athletes were named All-Americans in the same year.
"PISTOL" PETERSON
Peterson cemented herself as one of the top players in the country in her final season on campus. The Columbus, Ohio native was a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award and Dawn Staley Award and became the first student-athlete in program history to collect conference player of the year honors when she was named the Blue Ribbon Panel ACC Player of the Year.
The senior guard averaged 23.4 points and 7.0 assists per game on the year, setting the Syracuse single-season marks. She finished the season ranked sixth nationally in scoring and 11th in the country in helpers.
Without a doubt, Peterson's defining moment came when she poured in a Syracuse women's basketball record 45 points in an 85-75 win against No. 23/22 NC State on Jan. 12. It marks the most points scored by an individual in the history of the Carrier Dome, by a male or female.
BACK ON TOP AGAIN
Following two season-ending injuries, Sykes reestablished herself as one of the nation's top talents in her fifth and final year. The Newark, N.J. native collected her third all-conference honor of her collegiate career after tallying 19.2 points and 7.8 boards per contest.
Sykes finished her career ranked third in program history with 1,846 points scored. In addition, she played in 101 victories in her time on campus, making her the winningest player in Orange women's basketball history.
DAY JOINS ELITE CLUB
Senior center Briana Day became the program's all-time leading rebounder and exits campus with 1,142 career boards. In the process, Day became the first Syracuse women's basketball player to post at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career.
DEEP THREAT
Freshman guard Gabby Cooper came in and was asked to fill the shoes of the program's all-time 3-point field goals made leader Brianna Butler. Cooper put together the best rookie season from beyond the arc in Orange women's basketball history, knocking down 81 3-point field goals en route to ACC All-Freshman Team honors.
In the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 18, Cooper came out firing and knocked down a Syracuse single-game record eight 3-point field goals in an 85-65 win against Iowa State. The Lansing, Ill. product made 17 3-pointers in the final three games of the year.
WINNINGEST COACH IN PROGRAM HISTORY
With the Orange's 88-62 win at Clemson on Jan. 5, head coach Quentin Hillsman became the winningest coach in Syracuse women's basketball history. In his 11 years at the helm, the squad owns a 241-127 overall record.
In his time as head coach, the Orange boast an impressive résumé, which includes 10 consecutive postseason appearances, six trips to the NCAA Tournament, 12 all-conference selections, and four All-Americans.
For the latest news on the Syracuse women's basketball program, follow /SyracuseWBB on Facebook, @CuseWBB on Instagram, and @CuseWBB on Twitter.
Be a part of the 2017-18 season, order season tickets today! $75 for general admission and $125 for courtside tickets. One can purchase tickets here.
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/ Women's BasketballSyracuse Wins! 🍊🙌
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