Syracuse’s season has been defined by stunning highs and even more unexpected lows. Blowout losses to Duke, Georgia Tech and Miami make top-10 wins over Louisville and Florida State look like outliers.

Still, North Carolina State presented SU an opportunity for a third top-notch, undeniable win before the upcoming conference tournament. The No. 8 Wolfpack (24-4, 13-4 Atlantic Coast) entered Thursday’s contest losers of three of four, but Syracuse (15-13, 9-8) still couldn’t recreate the upset magic it’s conjured at times this season. The Orange never led despite NC State’s leading scorer, Elissa Cunane, playing only 11 minutes. Also in SU’s 69-60 loss, freshman guard Teisha Hyman didn’t return with an apparent right knee injury.

Holes in Syracuse’s defense opened up in the first quarter once Cunane checked in. It was senior night, so the Wolfpack center came off the bench. On one play, Cunane ran unimpeded from her own basket to SU’s rim in semi-transition, finishing a layup. The sophomore scored eight points in four minutes to close the first.

After missing her first four shot attempts, SU’s leading scorer, Kiara Lewis, found her rhythm. She consistently hit pull-up jumpers coming off ball-screens. To open the second half, she hesitated at the elbow off a screen, then snaked between two defenders for a lefty lay-in. SU still trailed 40-33 at halftime.

An Emily Engstler 3-pointer in transition cut NC State’s lead to four, then a turnaround hook in the post trimmed it to two early in the third quarter. But that would be the closest the Orange would get, as NC State responded to SU’s 7-0 run with an 8-2 spurt of its own.

The third quarter was worse for Syracuse than the impending loss. While Hyman drove to the hoop on one play, the freshman guard crumbled to the floor, immediately clutching her right knee. After the non-contact injury, she hobbled off the court — not putting any pressure on her right leg — with the help of the coaching and medical staff.

Hyman, who’s provided a spark off the bench all season, previously tore her left ACL. Heading into Thursday, Hyman averaged 6.6 points per game and provided active defense as SU’s sixth man.

Soon after, freshman guard Taleah Washington replaced Hyman, Washington nailed a 3-pointer. But Syracuse’s guard depth certainly took a hit. The Wolfpack then went on an 11-3 run to close out the third quarter, as the Orange zone couldn’t limit NC State’s outside shooters.

At one point in the fourth quarter, Lewis (20 points) and Gabrielle Cooper (six points) led a two-on-one fast break, but Wolfpack senior guard Aislinn Konig swatted Lewis’s layup attempt out of bounds. It was part of a seven-minute stretch with one field goal for Syracuse.

SU held the Wolfpack to just eight fourth-quarter points, but the final 10 minutes were null at that point. In total, Syracuse shot just 35.8% from the field, and 25% from 3. The Orange shoot the most 3s in the conference but convert them at the second-lowest rate.

With the win, the Wolfpack clinched the second seed in the upcoming ACC tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina. Syracuse has one game remaining before Greensboro, and as of now, is projected to miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012.

Published on February 27, 2020 at 10:21 pm

Contact Danny: [email protected] | @DannyEmerman