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After trailing 19-17 after the first quarter, Syracuse stormed back in the second quarter and ended the half on a 9-0 run. The Orange entered halftime with a 13-point lead. Dyaisha Fair led SU in scoring, while Dariauna Lewis collected 16 rebounds.

Although Syracuse led comfortably by the start of the third quarter, it continued to pour on the pressure. Looking well-adjusted and far more at ease as time went on, the Orange played at a fast pace on both ends of the floor while limiting the Seawolves to 30 points in the second half to secure a win in the opening game of the season. 

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s 79-56 win over Stony Brook.

Give the ball to Dyaisha 

Near the Stoney Brook bench on the left sideline with over six-and-a-half-minutes left in the second quarter, Fair gave Gigi Gonzalez two quick crossovers and moved toward the middle of the floor. Fair spun to her left and rose up, catching Gonzalez off guard and canning the jumper.

It wasn’t a pretty first half for Fair, missing seven shots. But she improved drastically in the second half to finish with 18 points shooting 33.3% from the field.

On every possession, Fair was looking to attack the basket and score. But when she didn’t, she found many of her contributions coming off of a screen, set by SU’s forwards. Fair finished the game with a team-high four assists. 

Stagnant offense 

Every time Fair brought the ball up, the Orange weren’t moving within their half-court offense. Down low, Lewis and Asia Strong would be demanding the ball, but there were no off-ball screens or cuts to clear out space for the two bigs. 

With no options to pass to, SU swung the ball around the perimeter endlessly for much of the first half, looking for gaps in the Stony Brook offense. When none were found, Fair and backcourt partner Teisha Hyman would be forced to go one-on-one with their defender. 

Sometimes it would work, but most of the time, the Orange looked out of sync. Too many dribbles at the top of the key gave the Seawolves time to readjust and prepare for Fair or Hyman if they did beat their opponent.

In one of the first offensive sets to start the second half, Fair put up an airball at the right elbow. Syracuse was completely spaced out, crowding the corners. Fair had no choice but to force her way through to the middle. With too much in her way, Fair’s fall-away jumper was just too hard of a shot. 

Toward the end of the game with half of the fourth quarter left to play, Hyman brought the ball up and faced an extended 1-2-2 Stony Brook zone. Recently implemented as a scheme to trap Syracuse’s players near the sideline, Hyman fell perfectly into Stony Brook’s plan. Hyman drove head down and was met near the paint by two Seawolf defenders. Crowded and with her vision blocked, Hyman tried to pass it cross-court to Georgia Woolley but the attempt sailed over her head for an SU turnover.

Size inside gives Syracuse a big edge 

In the second half, the Orange started to pull away from the Seawolves through their height advantage down low. Six-foot Saniaa Wilson received the ball down low with less than four minutes left in the third quarter. Wilson dribbled once then pivoted toward the middle as if she was going to tee up a jump hook. Her size was too much for her smaller defender to handle and she had no trouble in getting to her spot. Wilson then pump-faked, catching her defender slightly off-guard. Shortly after, she brought the ball up for real this team, banking the ball off the glass for her first points of the season.

With 55 seconds left in the third quarter, Lewis, who is 6-foot-1, ripping her tenth rebound of the afternoon with one hand off of a Fair miss. She was fouled on her attempt to put the ball back up. At the free-throw line, she hit both shots, giving her a double-double.

Just under three minutes to go in the game, Fair lobbed the ball down low to Hyman. Almost immediately after, Hyman popped the ball behind her back to a waiting Strong, positioned in the center of the paint. Strong missed the initial attempt but the space she had cleared on the floor by shooting it was enough for her to collect a rebound and finish it straight after.

Time after time, Syracuse was gifted with second, third, and even fourth possessions because of Lewis’ offensive rebounding. Whether those possessions finished in points or not, Lewis’ size and frame granted her the ability to go after every ball with a good chance in giving the Orange multiple chances to score. 

Solid transition play

Whether Syracuse got a steal, a defensive rebound, or just pushed the pace off of an opposing score, there were countless times where they caught the Seawolves off guard. Long outlet passes and individual fast breaks helped the Orange get out to a 7-0 run to end the first half. SU finished the game outscoring Stony Brook 19-12 in fastbreak points. 

Hyman closed in on Gonzalez, who was sprinting down the court. Hyman cornered her against the left sideline, forcing Gonzalez to raise the ball above her head in desperation and Hyman took it. Now on the offensive, Hyman pushed the ball but was met by two Stony Brook defenders who had gotten back quickly. Hyman slowed down and steadied herself before pulling up for a smooth mid-ranger a step behind the free throw line.

On one of the final plays of the first half, all Alaina Rice had to do was look up. Once she did, she launched a pass ahead to Fair who was well ahead of the pack for a wide-open layup, part of a 9-0 scoring run for Syracuse to end the second quarter. 

Woolley streaked down the court, ball in hand, and hesitated as she neared the three-point line. Although in transition off of a Stony Brook miss, Woolley calmly invited the pressure before dumping the ball off to Strong. Strong, positioned in the corner a few feet from the basket, took one dribble and swished her jumper. 

Published on November 7, 2022 at 6:06 pm

Contact Tyler: [email protected] | @theTylerSchiff