Syracuse women’s basketball: the Orange defeat Ohio 82-62 in the final non-conference road game.

Syracuse pulled away in the third quarter

The Syracuse Orange women’s basketball team secured an 82-62 victory in a clash against Ohio University and improve to 8-1 on the season. This game marked the final road game of their non-conference schedule, with three more games remaining before ​ACC play starts.

In the first quarter, Syracuse took the lead for the first time at 9-7. Georgia Woolley and ​Saniaa Wilson were the leading scorers for the Orange in the first half, with Woolley scoring 9 points and Wilson contributing 6 points. Woolley, who had struggled with three-point shots throughout the season, made an impressive three-point range attempt early on, breaking her slump. However, Syracuse struggled early on with their shooting, going 4 for 11 overall and 1 for 8 from three-point range in the first quarter. The Bobcats, known for turnovers and three-point shooting, lived up to their reputation, both forcing and committing turnovers. Despite their shooting woes, the Orange ended the quarter leading 20-15.

​Dyaisha Fair, an impactful player for Syracuse, showcased her skills from the foul line, being an impressive 94% foul shooter on the season.

The second quarter started with Syracuse scoring 5 quick points, extending their lead to 22-15. However, Ohio closed the gap, resulting in a close halftime score of 41-40 in favor of Syracuse. ​

The third quarter saw Syracuse come out strong, embarking on a 13-0 scoring run to jump to a 54-42 lead. Syracuse dominated the period, outscoring Ohio 23-7 and widening their lead to 64-47. They continued to play strong defense and Saniaa Wilson had a standout performance, scoring a career-high 18 points and shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field.

In the final quarter, Syracuse maintained their strong play, extending their lead to as much as 22 points. Dyaisha Fair displayed her three-point shooting prowess, hitting her fifth triple of the game and finishing with a team-high 21 points. Wilson added 18 points and 8 rebounds with Alyssa Latham (14 points) and Woolley (13) giving the Orange four players in double-figures. “We don’t have a go-to player, we have a go-to team,” said Coach Legette-Jack.

The team’s cohesive play and strong defensive efforts were noteworthy, emphasizing their collective strength rather than relying on a single go-to player. Sophie Burrows played a total of 28 minutes and despite scoring only 2 points on 1-for-7 shooting, she made an impact on the game with a career-high 7 rebounds.

With the win, the Orange will prepare for their remaining non-conference games starting with the Cornell Big Red on December 18th, before their highly anticipated ACC matchup on New Year’s Eve against the #14 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish.