Nov. 19, 2011
Box Score
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Lafayette women's basketball team went step-for-step with Syracuse for 20 minutes at the Carrier Dome on Saturday evening, trailing 31-30 at halftime, but the host Orange scored the first nine points of the second half and never looked back in a 74-54 contest. Danielle Fiacco, Emily Homan and Sarah McGorry each scored 11 points for the Leopards.
With the loss, the Leopards fall to 0-3. Syracuse, which had won its first two games by 39 and 43 points respectively, stays perfect at 3-0. A WNIT quarterfinalist last season, the Orange scored over 80 points and allowed 45 or less in each of their first two victories.
Fiacco, who had a double-double against Princeton on Monday, complemented her 11 points with a team-high eight rebounds and four blocked shots. Nine of McGorry's 11 came in the first half as the Leopards erased an eight-point deficit to head to the locker room down by just one point. Ashley Springer added six points, courtesy of two three-pointers, and Samantha Jordan tallied five of the bench. Kristan Liddle and Brya Freeland each had four points, and Alicia Manning rounded out the Lafayette scoring with two.
As a team, the Leopards shot 23-for-55 (41.8 percent) from the field, 2-for-10 (20 percent) from the three-point line and 6-for-10 (60 percent) from the free throw line. The Orange went 29-for-78 (37.2 percent) from the floor, 1-for-10 (10 percent) from beyond the arc and 15-for-24 (62.5 percent) from the charity stripe.
One of the deciding factors in the contest was rebounding, as the Orange held a 55-37 advantage on the glass. Syracuse hauled in 32 offensive boards and converted them into 30 second-chance points.
After a pair of Syracuse free throws to start the scoring, a Springer trey and a jumper in the lane by Fiacco gave the Leopards and early 5-2 edge. The squads then traded buckets before a 10-2 Orange run put the visitors on top by eight points, 24-16. The cushion held to 28-20, before a 9-1 Leopards' spurt - fueled by four points from Fiacco - knotted the score at 29-29. Syracuse would add two from the line in the closing minutes of the half, and McGorry sank one to run the halftime score to 31-30 in favor of the Orange.
Syracuse came out firing in the second period, running off nine straight to open the period as a part of an 18-2 run to take a 49-32 edge. The Leopards' offense found its stride at that point, but Lafayette was unable to put together a run to significantly shrink the deficit as the Orange pulled away for a 74-54 win.
Kayla Alexander was a force for Syracuse with 20 points and 17 rebounds. Carmen Tyson-Thomas scored a game-best 21 points, and three more players - Iasia Hemingway (11 points), Shakeya Leary (10) and Elashier Hall (10) joined them in double figures.
The Leopards are return to the court on Tuesday, Nov. 22 for a 7 p.m. contest at Saint Peter's. GoLeopards.com will present a live audio broadcast of all of the action from Jersey City, N.J.
