Orange Wins Physical Battle
1/26/2011 6:41:12 PM | Women's Basketball
Final Stats | Photos | Postgame Interviews
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Senior guard Erica Morrow netted a team-best 17 points to lead Syracuse (15-4, 3-3) to a 69-60 victory against Pittsburgh (9-10, 1-5) on Wednesday night at the Carrier Dome. SU shot 69 percent from behind the charity stripe in the win, converting 20-of-29 free throw attempts.
“It was a great win at home, it is so important to win your home conference games and that is all we talk about," head coach Quentin Hillsman said. "We did a good job of rebounding the basketball and made sure they didn't make a lot of threes on us. We didn't want (Shayla) Scott and (Taneisha) Harrison to make three's and they were 1-11 combined from behind the arc. We attacked the rim and just did the things that we do, I'm very happy with the win."
Morrow led the six Orange student-athletes who netted baskets on the night, including four in double figures, and is now only two points away from moving into third on the SU career scoring charts. Sophomore guard Elashier Hall was second on the team with 16 points and eight boards while sophomore center Kayla Alexander added 14 points and eight rebounds. Junior forward Iasia Hemingway rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points while adding three rebounds a trio of assists.
Sophomore guard Carmen Tyson-Thomas led the Orange to a 50-36 advantage on the boards with a game-high 11 rebounds.
It was a physical battle from the outset as the teams trading scores through the first five minutes with Syracuse holding a slight 7-6 edge. Pittsburgh responded with an 8-0 run to take a 14-7 lead with 13:13 left to play in the first half.
The Orange retorted with an 8-2 run to pull within one, 16-15, with 9:51 remaining on the clock. #Shakeya Leary#, Hemingway, Morrow and Alexander each had two points in the run for the Orange.
Back-to-back three pointers by Tasha Harris and Hall gave the SU a 24-22 advantage with 6:13 left in the half, marking its first lead since 15:43. Syracuse outscored Pittsburgh, 13-10, through the remainder of the first half to go into the locker room with a 37-32 lead.
The teams traded baskets out of the break with Syracuse maintaining a six-point buffer, 47-41, with 15:55 remaining in regulation.
The Orange used a 9-2 scoring spurt to build its lead to 13, 59-46, on a Hall trifecta with 6:15 to go. Syracuse maintained its lead through the end of regulation, securing the 69-60 victory.
Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome to host South Florida on Saturday, January 29 at 1 p.m. It is Daddy Daughter Day at the Dome, where girls under 12 are free with the purchase of an adult general admission ticket. The first 100 Dad's and Daughter's through Gate B will receive a free commemorative Daddy-Daughter Day T-Shirt.