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For the second straight game, the Orange trailed by nearly 20 points in the third quarter.

Five days after completing their largest comeback win (19 points) under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack against Clemson, the Orange found themselves staring down an 18-point deficit against Florida State. SU trailed 46-36 at halftime, but an 8-0 run by the Seminoles at the beginning of the third quarter gave them their largest lead of the game.

Legette-Jack responded to FSU’s run by making key substitutions a minute and a half into the third quarter. She replaced Georgia Woolley and Alaina Rice — SU’s second and fourth leading scorers — with reserves Kennedi Perkins and Sophie Burrows. Saniaa Wilson also stepped into the lineup, replacing starting forward Kyra Wood.

Anchored by guard Dyaisha Fair’s 31 points on a program-record nine 3-pointers and supported by contributions from Perkins, Burrows and Wilson, Syracuse (15-2, 5-1 ACC) overcame an 18-point deficit to defeat No. 15 Florida State (14-5, 5-2 ACC) 79-73. After Perkins, Burrows and Wilson entered the game at the 8:31 mark of the third quarter, the Orange outscored the Seminoles 43-21, notching their second come-from-behind win in as many games.

“I was gonna let that (lineup) go until the wheels fell off, the wheels just never fell off,” Legette-Jack said postgame.

In the first quarter, Rice, who was coming off a 16-point performance against Clemson, was 3-for-5 from the field and scored seven of Syracuse’s first nine points. But she couldn’t get anything to drop from that point. Meanwhile, Woolley, shot 2-for-5 in the first half scoring six points.

With the Orange behind 52-36 a minute and a half into the third, Rice and Woolley both headed to the bench and never returned. Their respective 18 and 16 minutes played were season-lows.

“We were called in to give our team energy,” Perkins said. “We saw that we needed some points and some stops, so we played defense first, and then the offense started rolling and then we took the lead.”

After Fair canned her sixth 3-pointer at the 7:32 mark of the third quarter to end the Seminoles’ 8-0 run, Syracuse began chipping away at the deficit. Following a good contest at the rim from Wilson on a layup attempt from FSU’s Brianna Turnage, Alyssa Latham pulled down the rebound.

On the offensive end, Latham and Burrows each corralled offensive rebounds before Perkins received the ball at the top of the key. Perkins evaded Carla Viegas, slithered by Turange on her way to the paint and finished a left-handed scoop over Makayla Timpson at the rim for her first points of the night.

Defensively, the Orange forced a 3-point miss from Sara Bejedi and got the ball down low to Wilson, who converted on an and-one. Just over two minutes into Legette-Jack’s lineup change, SU answered Florida State’s run with an 8-0 run of its own.

But Florida State, who entered Thursday’s contest scoring the 11th-most points per game in Division I, quickly regained a 14-point lead with four minutes remaining in the third frame. Perkins proceeded to score or assist on seven of the Orange’s final 12 third-quarter points, helping them trim FSU’s lead to eight entering the fourth.

Although Burrows struggled from the floor – shooting just 2-for-9 – she nailed a jumper for the first points of the fourth, and then helped the Orange force a Florida State turnover on the ensuing defensive possession.

The Orange again looked for Burrows to score on the offensive end as she posted up FSU’s Ta’Niya Latson, but she then dished to Wilson, who converted on a post-up of her own.

Defensively, SU held strong again, forcing Latson to turn the ball over — one of her game-high six giveaways. Perkins attempted to bring Syracuse within one possession, taking a pull-up jumper at the free throw line which missed off the back iron. With great positioning down low, Wood snatched two of her game-high five offensive rebounds before converting at the rim.

The Seminoles still led 62-60, but they had been held scoreless for over four minutes, and their drought continued when Bejedi missed a corner 3. Burrows pulled down her fourth rebound and pushed the ball ahead to Fair.

Fair quickly bounced the ball back to Burrows and slipped into the corner. With two FSU defenders guarding Burrows on the wing, she dished the ball back to Fair, who drilled the corner 3 and gave SU a 63-62 lead.

“When we’re down 20, down five or down two, we never get too high, we never get too low. We stay together,” Fair said postgame.

The Orange increased their lead to three after Wood converted on a layup, but Florida State ended its 4:03 scoring drought when O’Mariah Gordon made a pair of free throws. On the other end, Perkins responded with her ninth point of the game, but the Seminoles proceeded to go on a 5-0 run to take a 69-67 with four minutes remaining.

While SU’s role players helped it get back in the game, it needed its star to propel it to a win. In need of a basket, the Orange were stifled offensively until there were just two seconds left on the shot clock. Noticing the shot clock, Fair heaved a 30-foot 3-pointer, hitting nothing but net and regaining Syracuse a 70-69 lead.

After Syracuse notched a defensive stop, it got the ball right back to Fair, who drilled her ninth 3 of the game, taking all the energy out of Florida State. The Orange proceeded to close the game after Wood, Fair and Burrows went a combined 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

“I’m excited about what we’re doing, but I’m never satisfied,” Legette-Jack said following the win.

Published on January 18, 2024 at 11:54 pm

Contact Justin: [email protected] | @JustinGirshon