No. 14 Syracuse Tops Wildcats in Cancun Challenge Debut

Thursday, November 22

Cancun, Mexico

1:30 pm

Syracuse University

4-1

Kansas State

3-1

SYRACUSE

K-STATE

No. 14 Syracuse Tops Wildcats in Cancun Challenge Debut

11/22/2018 4:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Cancun, Mexico – A game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter helped No. 14 Syracuse storm back to defeat Kansas State (3-1) in the first game of the Cancun Challenge on Thursday afternoon. Syracuse led 40-31 at halftime but a 17-6 run for the Wildcats in the third quarter saw the Orange down by two, 48-46, at the start of the fourth.

Tiana Mangakahia led all scorers with 18 points, six assists and four steals. Digna Strautmane and Emily Engstler also scored in double figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively The Orange improve to 4-1 and will face Princeton at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.

Syracuse controlled the first quarter, leading by as many as nine points. The Orange shot 60 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range while out-rebounding the Wildcats 11-5. Mangakahia led all scorers with eight points.

A layup by Engstler with 4:52 to go in the first half gave 'Cuse a 12-point lead, 34-22. Kansas State was able to respond with seven points by Chiristianna Carr but the Orange held a nine-point lead at halftime. Syracuse scored 18 points in the paint in the first 20 minutes of action and was helped by 16 points off the bench.

'Cuse was flat in the third quarter, scoring six points while turning over the ball seven times. K-State shot 45.5 percent from the field and held the Orange to a game-low 27.3 percent and 0-for-6 from 3-point range. The Wildcats led 48-46 by the end of the frame.

Engstler got things going for 'Cuse in the fourth with a layup to tie the game 48-all with 9:51 to go. Back-to-back baskets by Peyton Williams gave K-State its largest lead of the game, 52-48. Mangakahia tilted the game flow when she grabbed the ball at mid-court off a steal from Strautmane and converted to a three-point play when she was fouled on a fast break layup.

Gabrielle Cooper and Miranda Drummond drained back-to-back three-pointers to help the 'Cuse lead creep back up to 12. Kansas State was able to cut it to single digits down the stretch but the Orange held on for a nine-point win and their first victory over K-State in program history.

The Orange are back in action tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. EST when they take on Princeton (1-4) in the second game of the Cancun Challenge. The Tigers lost, 82-67, to No. 16 DePaul in their first game of the Cancun Challenge. Fans can follow live stats and watch the game live with Brian Higgins on the call.