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Syracuse’s 2023-24 season ended in the NCAA Tournament Second Round, as it fell to UConn. In its second year under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, SU finished 24-8, recording its most wins since 2018-19.

Entering this season, however, the Orange’s roster shifted following the graduation of Dyaisha Fair and two of its other top-four scorers. Legette-Jack added two players from the transfer portal and brought in four freshmen.

Tuesday night marked the debut of the six new players as Syracuse faced Daemen. Georgia Woolley, its second-leading scorer from last season, and graduate Dominique Camp did not play. In their absence, the Orange received strong play from their new point guards and returning veterans to help them earn a convincing victory.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s 90–50 exhibition win over Daemen:

Wood shines

In the first five minutes, Kyra Wood tallied seven points and five rebounds. The senior knocked down her first bucket on a feed by Olivia Schmitt. Wood used strong work in the post to operate with her back to the basket.

Midway through the first, Wood got down to the block and finished through contact. She made the free throw to convert the and-one opportunity, stretching her tally to five points.

With four minutes left in the first quarter, Wood continued to pour the ball into the hoop, scoring on a post move. Wood had nine points in the first 10 minutes, leading SU to a 28-10 lead.

“(Kyra’s start) honestly didn’t really surprise me, because that’s what you expect from her,” Izabel Varejão said. “She’s a beast on the boards, and I can count on her every game.”

In the second quarter, Wood used her wingspan to get into the Wildcats’ passing lane. She blocked a pass and ran the floor before Angelica Velez found her for a layup on the other end. Along with her scoring, Wood also recorded seven rebounds in the first half.

Strong point guard play

The graduation of Fair left a large void at SU’s point guard position. Fair led the Orange in scoring and assists last season. With Woolley not playing, Velez and Schmitt stepped up.

Schmitt got the Orange going, knocking down the first shot of the game on a 3 from the top of the arc. Moments later, Schmitt nabbed a steal on the defensive end and found Sophie Burrows for a 3-pointer to extend SU’s lead to 6-1. Velez added two steals in the first six minutes.

Early in the second quarter, Schmitt continued to find her teammates. As the Orange worked the ball around Daemen’s defense, Schmitt delivered a pass to Shy Hawkins on a back-door cut for an open layup.

“(Schmitt and Velez) controlled the whole offense,” Hawkins said. “They helped everybody communicate and ran the game, so it helped us get easier shots.”

With four minutes until halftime, Velez ignited SU’s offense with a dish to Wood for a layup. A few minutes later, Velez canned a 3 to mark her first points of the game.

In the fourth, Velez brought her assist tally to four after driving the lane on a fast break. She drew multiple Wildcats’ defenders before dropping the ball off to Keira Scott.

Velez and Schmitt combined for 11 of Syracuse’s 18 assists.

“I like our guard play,” Legette-Jack said. “It’s gonna get better the next game when we add (Woolley) and Dominique Camp to the equation.”

Scott, Hawkins impress at forward

Among Legette-Jack’s freshman class, Scott and Hawkins were the two highest-rated recruits. Both four-star prospects entered the game midway through the first quarter and made an impact.

In the second quarter, Scott curled around the arch and cut toward the basket. Saniaa Wilson saw the cutting Scott and found her for an easy layup. Scott added a running floater later in the quarter.

Hawkins scored four of the Orange’s first 11 points out of halftime. Early in the third, she worked her way to the foul line and knocked down a pair of free throws. A few minutes later, she converted a layup on a pass from Burrows.

The freshmen pair continued to shine in the fourth quarter. Scott scored on a layup and from midrange while Hawkins returned to the free-throw line and added a basket on a pass from Varejão. Scott and Hawkins combined for 32 points.

Orange control the glass

After 20 minutes, Syracuse led the rebounding margin 26-15. Its returners Wood and Wilson combined to grab 14 early boards, helping the Orange to a 52-20 lead at halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, Varejão grabbed a rebound on the defensive end to halt Daemen’s possession. She dished the ball up the floor and ran the distance before getting the ball back to lift a shot of her own and was fouled in the process.

The Orange won the rebounding battle 19-6 in the third quarter, holding the Wildcats to single-digit boards for the third straight quarter. Wood and Varejão grabbed missed shots by Daemen while Scott constantly found herself on the receiving end of offensive boards.

SU ended the game winning the rebound margin 63-30. Its dominance on the glass allowed it to get the ball out and up on the break to Velez and Schmitt.

“(Rebounding) is who we are,” Legette-Jack said. “We rebound and we run.”

Published on October 29, 2024 at 9:00 pm

Contact Timmy at: tswilcox@syr.edu | @TimmyWilcox32