Orange Defeat Pitt, Move to 10-0 at Home

Sunday, January 21

Syracuse, N.Y.

2:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

15-5, 3-4

Pittsburgh

9-11, 1-6

Pittsburgh

Syracuse

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

1/21/2018 5:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Cuse TV: Highlights Cuse TV: Hillsman Postgame Cuse TV: Players Postgame Photo Gallery

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Orange improved to 10-0 inside the Carrier Dome this season with a 70-52 win over Atlantic Coast Conference rival Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon. Syracuse improves to 15-5 overall and 3-4 in the ACC while Pitt moves to 9-11 overall and 1-6 in the league. Tiana Mangakahia and Amaya Finklea-Guity led all scorers with 14 points each while Jasmine Nwajei had a game-high nine rebounds in 16 minutes of action.

HOW IT WAS DECIDED
Gabrielle Cooper hit a 3-pointer at 3:09 for a 13-11 lead. Finklea-Guity capitalized on a second-chance opportunity at 2:54 to make it a 15-11 Syracuse lead in the first. A 10-2 run gave the Orange a 20-13 lead with 1:33 to play, forcing Pittsburgh head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio into a timeout. 'Cuse led 22-13 at the end of the frame as the team shot 44.4 percent from the field in the frame and knocked down four shots from behind the arc.

The Orange took its largest lead of the first half at the 6:08 mark with a jumper from Finklea-Guity for a 34-18 lead. Pittsburgh cut the deficit to 10, 38-28, following a layup by Kauai Bradley at 2:37 but the Orange closed the frame on a 6-3 run to lead 44-31 at halftime. 'Cuse shot 50 percent from the field (16-for-32) and made eight 3-pointers (8-for-14). Cooper led the first half scoring with 12 points, all four baskets from behind the arc, while also leading the team in rebounds with six.

Digna Strautmane put 'Cuse ahead by 17, 51-34, at 7:23 in the third quarter. The Orange maintained a double-figure lead through the frame and shot 46.2 percent from the field. They had a 19-point lead at the 2:48 mark when Isis Young drained a 3-pointer but Pittsburgh cut the deficit to 15 after holding the Orange scoreless for the final two and a half minutes of action.

Both teams went cold in the fourth quarter with 'Cuse outscoring Pitt 8-5. The Orange shot 7.1 percent from the field, a season low, while the Panthers' lone field goal was a trey at the 5:33 mark by Bradley. Syracuse closed the game on a 6-0 run for its largest margin of victory in ACC play this season, 70-52.

OF NOTE
Four players scored in double figures for the second-consecutive game. Mangakahia and Finklea-Guity led the way with 14 points each while Strautmane and Cooper each had 12 points. Cooper shot 40 percent from the field (4-for-10) helping the Orange to their 11th game this season with at least 10 3-point baskets made.

A season-high 8,126 fans were in attendance to see the Orange improve to 10-0 at home this season.

TWEET OF THE GAME

Thanks to the 8,126 fans that came out to support the Orange! Largest crowd of the season! pic.twitter.com/N7T0dQ8I2k
— 'Cuse Women's Hoops (@CuseWBB) January 21, 2018

Q'S THOUGHTS
"We are very happy with the win and it was good to come into the Dome and have a great crowd," said head coach Quentin Hillsman. "I thought that our university, the support staff and the people that surround our program did an excellent job of getting the Dome pretty packed and we definitely had a home-court advantage in this game. I have to give our girls a lot of credit because they bounced back from a couple road losses and played hard."

UP NEXT
Syracuse returns to action Thursday, Jan. 25, to host Clemson in the Carrier Dome. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. and the game can be streamed live 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.