Syracuse Blows Out Kent State in WNIT Opener
After a back and forth first quarter, Syracuse gained some separation in the second quarter and pulled away in the third to secure an 84-56 victory over Kent State in the WNIT opener. The Orange outscored the Golden Flashes by 31 points over the final three quarters. Syracuse will play the winner of Seton Hall and Saint Joseph's (which takes place on Thursday, March 16th) in the next round. It was the first postseason victory at Syracuse for head coach Felisha Legette-Jack.
The game was tight throughout the first quarter, with Kent State holding the lead for the final three plus minutes. However, a 15-3 run to end the half provided a nine point edge heading into the locker room.
Syracuse then used a 21-8 run in the third quarter to put the game out of reach and extend the Orange's lead to 20 points. Dyaisha Fair had 10 points during that spurt. She finished the game with 24 points, six rebounds, two assists and one steal.
Dariauna Lewis was dominant inside, recording a double-double with 17 points on 8-13 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds and two blocks. Georgia Woolley (13 points) and Teisha Hyman (10 points) were the other two Syracuse players in double figures.
Kent State came in with a reputation of being a strong outside shooting team. Syracuse's defense held the Golden Flashes to just 7-27 (26%) from beyond the arc. The defense also forced 19 turnovers and the Orange won the rebounding battle 41-30.
This was a complete domination in all phases. Syracuse even took care of the ball committing only six turnovers on the night. The Orange shot 49.3% from the floor compared to just 40.4% for Kent State.
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