Syracuse Closes Out Regular Season With Dominant 85-55 Victory Over Pittsburgh
By AJ Myers | @ajmyerstv
PITTSBURGH, PA – With 7:04 remaining in the fourth quarter Dyaisha Fair knocked down her seventh three-pointer. The senior would finish the game with 23 points and six assists. The threes would cap off a brilliant season for Fair and make it a comfortable game for the Orange against Pitt.
The game was so comfortable for SU that Fair could watch the remainder of the fourth quarter from the bench. Syracuse had excellent bench production, with Saniaa Wilson and Teisha Hyman having 12 points. Helping Syracuse (18-11, 9-9 Atlantic Coast) get its 24th victory in a row over Pittsburgh (10-18, 3-14 Atlantic Coast) 85-55.
The first quarter did give the ten-win Panthers some hope. Pitt shot 58% from the field and 60% from three. Also, the blue and gold controlled the boards with eight rebounds in the first quarter. The Orange, early on, were also sloppy with the ball.
Pittsburgh Avery Strickland gave her team a nice spark off the bench by sinking two quick three-pointers. The freshman would finish the night with eleven points. Overall, Pitt had a 9-0 first-quarter run.
However, Syracuse extinguished any chance of a comeback in the second quarter. Dyaisha Fair began hitting threes, and Pitt’s shooting percentage decreased. The Panthers also started turning the ball over, ending the game with 20 turnovers.
A significant reason for those turnovers was Syracuse’s swarming defense. The Orange stole the ball eleven times from Pitt. And SU blocked the Panthers six times. Teisha Hyman led the team with four takeaways, and Dariauna Lewis had a team-high three blocks.
With Georgia Woolley unavailable, it was the first career start for Kennedi Perkins. The freshman finished the game with five points, and one made three.
The dominant victory means Syracuse concludes its ninth season in the last ten years with a winning record – an impressive first season under new head coach Felisha Legette-Jack.
Now the Orange will look towards the ACC tournament, where they have already secured a first-round bye. Syracuse is projected to play Thursday, March 2, in the 8/9 matchup against NC State. SU lost to the wolfpack earlier in the year 56-54.
