Velez, Izoje Lead Syracuse to 78-62 Win Over Howard

In a game where Syracuse point guard Dominique Darius went 1-5 from the field with five turnovers, it was her backup — Angelica Velez — who sparked SU (6-1, 0-0 ACC) to a 78-62 win over Howard (6-3, 0-0 MEAC) at the Dome Sunday.

Velez scored just four points, but added nine assists, one shy of a career-high.

“She definitely steadied the ship,” SU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said of Velez. “We have four guards that can play. She just pushed the pace for us. She had a couple of turnovers, but she was pushing pace, her effort was there, her energy was there.”

“I like that we have choices, and Dom [Darius] doesn’t have to be a perfect player. It wasn’t her best game, but [Velez] showed, ‘I’ve got my sister’s back.”

It was also a career night for SU’s freshman center, Uche Izoje, who racked up 20 points. She also added nine rebounds and seven blocks. 

“There’s still so much room for her to grow,” Legette-Jack said. “She’s a special, special player, but she hasn’t even tapped a third of how good she’s going to be. We’re going to keep finding it. We’re going to keep finding it every single game.”

A major test awaits 6-1 Syracuse. The Orange host Auburn (8-1, 0-0 SEC) in the ACC/SEC Challenge Wednesday at 5 p.m. Follow @CitrusTVSports on X for updates.