Tuesday, November 5
Syracuse, N.Y.
8 pm
Syracuse University
vs
Ohio
Basketball is Back! #21 Orange Host Ohio Tuesday Night
11/4/2019 9:12:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – It has been 224 days since Syracuse's women's basketball team played a game in the Carrier Dome when South Dakota State ended the Orange's NCAA Tournament run. The Orange have had 224 days to prepare for Tuesday night's 2019-20 season opener against Ohio at 8 p.m. A lot has happened in 224 days.
Syracuse had a rollercoaster offseason. First, it was Tiana Mangakahia, arguably the nation's best point guard, deciding to surpass the WNBA Draft to return for her final year of eligibility. Then, it was the departure of eight players, five of whom earned degrees. In June came Mangakahia's Stage 2 breast cancer (Grade 3 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma) diagnosis that shocked the basketball community. Syracuse Head Coach Quentin Hillsman then filled a vacancy on his staff with 17-year WNBA veteran DeLisha Milton-Jones.
With the tumultuous offseason behind them, the Orange have their sights on an eighth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, where they've been a top-3 seed twice in the last four years.
Syracuse enters the season nationally ranked for the sixth-straight year checking in at No. 21 in the Associated Press (AP) Poll and No. 17 in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. The Orange are projected to finish sixth in what's annually the nation's most competitive conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
It will be no easy road for Syracuse, who has eight opponents scheduled that also begin the season nationally ranked, including No. 1 Oregon on Nov. 24 at home.
The Orange added six players in the offseason, including three graduate transfers, to a team that will have three upperclassman returning to the starting lineup. Senior Gabrielle Cooper has started all 97 games of her career. Juniors Digna Strautmane and Amaya Finklea-Guity have two years in Hillsman's starting rotation under their belt and then you have reserves Kiara Lewis, Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi and Emily Engstler who combined for 24.1 points per game last season expected to play bigger roles this season.
Orange fans will see plenty of the new faces as well as the seven returners. Mangakahia will not play this season as she undergoes treatment and recovery from her mid-summer cancer diagnosis. Coach Hillsman's up-tempo style centered on a powerful backcourt will be on full display all season in the Dome.
Ohio was one-of-eight NCAA Division I women's basketball teams to win 30 or more games last season. Head coach Bob Boldon led the Bobcats to one of the most impressive seasons in program history where Ohio set program records in wins, 3-pointers made (341), points scored (2,746) and steals (376).
Tuesday is the fourth meeting in program history between the two. Syracuse leads the all-time series 3-0, all three wins having been under Hillsman's direction. Last time the two met, Syracuse defeated Ohio, 81-70, on a neutral floor.
Syracuse has won 12-straight season openers under Hillsman's leadership and looks to improve to 18-2 in openers since the 1999-20 season on Tuesday.
Tuesday's season opener will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX). To access ACC Network Extra, fans need to subscribe to a cable provider or streaming service that carries ACC Network. Fans unsure if their provider carries ACCN are strongly encouraged to visit GetACCN.com.
Syracuse season tickets start at $75 and are available for sale by phone (1-888-DOMETIX) or at The Box Office at the Ensley Athletic Center, which will operate extended hours on Mondays, from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm, and will be open Tuesday through Friday, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, for purchasing tickets to all Dome events. Limited Premium Courtside seats are still available and can be purchased by contacting a sales representative at 1-888-DOME-TIX.
To stay updated on the Syracuse Orange women's basketball team, follow @CuseWBB on Twitter and Instagram.
Syracuse had a rollercoaster offseason. First, it was Tiana Mangakahia, arguably the nation's best point guard, deciding to surpass the WNBA Draft to return for her final year of eligibility. Then, it was the departure of eight players, five of whom earned degrees. In June came Mangakahia's Stage 2 breast cancer (Grade 3 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma) diagnosis that shocked the basketball community. Syracuse Head Coach Quentin Hillsman then filled a vacancy on his staff with 17-year WNBA veteran DeLisha Milton-Jones.
With the tumultuous offseason behind them, the Orange have their sights on an eighth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, where they've been a top-3 seed twice in the last four years.
Syracuse enters the season nationally ranked for the sixth-straight year checking in at No. 21 in the Associated Press (AP) Poll and No. 17 in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. The Orange are projected to finish sixth in what's annually the nation's most competitive conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
It will be no easy road for Syracuse, who has eight opponents scheduled that also begin the season nationally ranked, including No. 1 Oregon on Nov. 24 at home.
The Orange added six players in the offseason, including three graduate transfers, to a team that will have three upperclassman returning to the starting lineup. Senior Gabrielle Cooper has started all 97 games of her career. Juniors Digna Strautmane and Amaya Finklea-Guity have two years in Hillsman's starting rotation under their belt and then you have reserves Kiara Lewis, Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi and Emily Engstler who combined for 24.1 points per game last season expected to play bigger roles this season.
Orange fans will see plenty of the new faces as well as the seven returners. Mangakahia will not play this season as she undergoes treatment and recovery from her mid-summer cancer diagnosis. Coach Hillsman's up-tempo style centered on a powerful backcourt will be on full display all season in the Dome.
Ohio was one-of-eight NCAA Division I women's basketball teams to win 30 or more games last season. Head coach Bob Boldon led the Bobcats to one of the most impressive seasons in program history where Ohio set program records in wins, 3-pointers made (341), points scored (2,746) and steals (376).
Tuesday is the fourth meeting in program history between the two. Syracuse leads the all-time series 3-0, all three wins having been under Hillsman's direction. Last time the two met, Syracuse defeated Ohio, 81-70, on a neutral floor.
Syracuse has won 12-straight season openers under Hillsman's leadership and looks to improve to 18-2 in openers since the 1999-20 season on Tuesday.
Tuesday's season opener will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX). To access ACC Network Extra, fans need to subscribe to a cable provider or streaming service that carries ACC Network. Fans unsure if their provider carries ACCN are strongly encouraged to visit GetACCN.com.
Syracuse season tickets start at $75 and are available for sale by phone (1-888-DOMETIX) or at The Box Office at the Ensley Athletic Center, which will operate extended hours on Mondays, from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm, and will be open Tuesday through Friday, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, for purchasing tickets to all Dome events. Limited Premium Courtside seats are still available and can be purchased by contacting a sales representative at 1-888-DOME-TIX.
To stay updated on the Syracuse Orange women's basketball team, follow @CuseWBB on Twitter and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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