Orange Declaw Panthers, Extend Winning Streak

Sunday, February 16

Syracuse, N.Y.

1 pm

Syracuse University

14-11,8-6ACC

Pittsburgh

4-21,1-13ACC

Pittsburgh

Syracuse

2/16/2020 3:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A pair of strong performances from Kiara Lewis and Digna Strautmane helped Syracuse roll past Pittsburgh for the 18th consecutive time. The Orange topped the Panthers 71-53 at home in the Carrier Dome to extend their winning streak to four and improve to 14-11 overall and 8-6 in the ACC. Lewis and Strautmane scored 19 and 18 points, respectively. Syracuse sweeps the Panthers in the regular season for the seventh-straight year, while the Orange limited Pitt (4-21, 1-13 ACC) to less than 53 points in both meetings.

"I'm very happy with the win," head coach Quentin Hillsman said. "It was a great win and a great crowd. I was really happy with the game. I thought our kids played hard. We came out really strong in the first quarter and I liked our energy. They adjusted at halftime, so we had to come out and be better and we came out pretty well in the third. At this part of the season, everyone's a little banged up and everyone's a little tired. We're just trying to get everyone through these games. I thought Digna [Strautmane] was fantastic today. She scored the ball well, [Kiara Lewis] has been doing what she's doing and obviously, Emily [Engstler] with the rebounding has been fantastic."

It was Play4Kay Day in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse recognized 15 women whose lives have been affected by breast cancer, including Syracuse's own Tiana Mangakahia.

"Great crowd today for a great cause. I thought they came out and did a really awesome job supporting Tiana, and it was an important day for her. I'm just really happy about the turnout and happy about the job that our marketing team and everyone did to get this crowd here today."

Of note:

Pitt's 53 points were the fourth-least 'Cuse has allowed all year and marked the third time this season the Orange have limited an ACC opponent to less than 54.
Digna Strautmane finished with a season-best 18 points. She recorded nine rebounds too to tie her season-high.
Maeva Djadli-Tabdi registered 10 points to finish one shy of her 500th career point.

How it happened:

The first period was all Syracuse, the Orange taking a 24-12 lead after the opening 10 minutes, allowing just five field goals from the Panthers. Kiara Lewis was a point shy of double digits, and Teisha Hyman was right behind six.
The Orange opened the second quarter with six more points before the Panthers went on an 8-2 run. The push didn't affect the home team though as 'Cuse still led 31-20 and followed with a 7-0 run to balloon their advantage to 38-20. Syracuse entered halftime with a sizable 38-24 lead, Strautmane and Lewis pacing the Orange with nine points each. Emily Engstler had a game-high nine rebounds. Dayshanette Harris was the lone Panther to break five points, scoring 10 in the first half.
Syracuse kept its foot on the pedal in the third frame, outscoring the competition 21-11. Strautmane brought her point total to 18 after three quarters of play, surpassing her season-best 17. The final five minutes of the frame featured a 11-4 Syracuse run that put the Orange ahead, 59-35, heading into the final quarter.
Just three Orange field goals were scored in the fourth quarter and Pitt outscored Syracuse 18-12, but 'Cuse cruised to a 71-53 victory.

Up Next:
Syracuse returns to the hardwood Thursday at 6 p.m. to host Clemson (7-19, 3-12 ACC). The game will be nationally-televised on the ACC Network. It's Bring Your Parents to the Game Day/ Staff & Faculty Appreciation Day. In-game promotions will be geared toward parents and their kids. Fans can take advantage of a special family ticket offer here. For any questions regarding this link call (888) DOME-TIX. Sales are valid through Wednesday February 19th at 11:59pm or while supplies last!

To stay updated on the Syracuse Orange women's basketball team, follow @CuseWBB on Twitter and Instagram.