Syracuse Women’s Basketball Beats Lafayette in Season Opener

By Carson Fowler | @CarsonFowlerTV

Last week, Coach Jack said her team needed to be a lot better defensively, and it’s clear they got the memo. The Orange put on an absolute clinic tonight. Syracuse out-rebounded Lafayette by 31 and held the Leopards to thirty percent from the floor. SU comes away with the season-opening victory 75-41. 

Now, Coach Jack says there’s still a lot of work to be done ahead of a long season of college basketball. “Defensively, we’re getting better,” said Jack. “We’re certainly not comfortable right now. In the first quarter, we came out so stagnant and if we’re playing against an ACC team, that can be a 15-point blowout.”

“We’re not boxing out,” Jack said. “We’re trying to out-jump small kids and we don’t want to outjump them. We need to show that you can master rebounding. You have to get to those blocks, and you have to lock in, bend your knees, and plunge forward to get those rebounds. We got those rebounds because we’re just taller, and we’re not going to get those rebounds in the ACC.”

“I think our biggest thing is effort,” said sophomore forward Kyra Wood. “Whoever we are playing, it doesn’t matter who we’re playing. If it’s the biggest of the biggest, or even a DII school in an exhibition, we just have to show our best and give our best effort. I think if we can bring that same intensity and competitiveness every game, then we’re going to be something to deal with this year.”

Syracuse wins its season opener against Lafayette, but it’s a quick turnaround for the Orange. SU set to take on Central Connecticut, inside the JMA Wireless Dome on Friday at 7.