Orange's Season Ends in Second Round

Monday, March 25

Syracuse, N.Y.

7 PM

Syracuse University

25-9

South Dakota State

28-6

South Dakota State

Syracuse

3/25/2019 9:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery Press Conference

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Orange's season came to an end in an electrifying battle from start to finish.

The third-seeded Syracuse women's basketball team lost 75-64 to sixth-seeded South Dakota State (28-6) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Monday night inside the Carrier Dome. The loss concludes the Orange's season, as Syracuse finishes its 2018-19 campaign with a 25-9 overall record, including an 11-5 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Guard Tiana Mangakahia scored a team-high 18 points and dished out eight assists. In doing so, she set the program record for career assists (591), surpassing Alexis Peterson's mark of 590.

Guard Kiara Lewis chipped in 13 points, while forward Miranda Drummond scored 11 and pulled down a team-high five rebounds in the loss.

It was a back-and-forth contest from the opening tip, and it was decided in the final minutes of regulation. Syracuse held a 62-61 lead with 3:55 left to play, but South Dakota State would not let the Orange pull away.

The Jackrabbits used a 14-2 run to close out the game, silencing the pro-Orange crowd inside the Carrier Dome before punching their ticket to the Sweet 16.

Prior to the heartbreak, the Orange were in control. Syracuse held a 24-20 lead after the first quarter, shooting 62.5 percent from the floor to open the game.

The Orange pulled away to start the second, as Syracuse used a big run to create separation for the second straight game. The Orange outscored South Dakota State 12-6 to start the quarter, opening a 12-point lead before the media timeout.

The Jackrabbits were having none of it, however. South Dakota State fired back, piecing together a 12-2 run while holding the Orange scoreless for the final 4 minutes of the quarter. Syracuse's 12-point advantage in the second quarter turned into a 38-36 halftime lead.

From there, South Dakota State took over. The Jackrabbits jumped all over the Orange in the third, using a 13-0 run to extend a 53-47 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Syracuse refused to be counted out, though. Mangakahia and Lewis ignited a 10-0 run to open the quarter, re-energizing the Dome crowd and allowing the Orange to briefly retake the lead.

Yet again, South Dakota State fought back. Down 62-61, the Jackrabbits hit three-pointers on back-to-back possessions thanks to the hot hands of guards Madison Guebert and Sydney Palmer.

They never looked back. The Jackrabbits took a 67-62 lead with three minutes to go, closing out the game on the 14-2 run before winning 75-64.

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