Takeaways From Syracuse's much-needed win against Pitt
The women's team gets back to its winning ways after the Panthers gave the Orange all it could handle in a game that resembled SU’s come from behind effort against Clemson a few days back.
The Orange knew how important the game against the Panthers was going into the contest. Coach Quentin Hillsman told reporters following practice on Wednesday just how pivotal the upcoming games are for Syracuse as it has been shipped out of the Associated Press Poll following a loss to the No. 1 team in the country, and a gut-wrenching overtime defeat to the Tigers in Clemson.
"Our next two games are critical,” coach Hillsman said. “We need to win both of these games. Those are going to be ranked as the most important games of our season right now.”
The women did not disappoint as they routed the Panthers 80-57 to get back in the winning column. The victory is huge for the Orange. Apart from acting as a confidence booster for the team, the Orange will have a strong case for jumping back in the Top-25 with a win against Notre Dame on Jan. 31.
Takeaways:
Keep Feeding the Freshman: Kamilla Cardoso and Priscilla Williams came into the game against Pitt having earned the Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the week honors in successive weeks. Though at times Williams struggled shooting the ball against the Panthers, she started off hot, cooled down (as did the entire SU offense in the third quarter), and ended the game with a 3-pointer as her freshman mate Kamilla Cardoso was awarded the assist.
The 6-foot-7 Cardoso had a strong showing of her own against Pitt as Syracuse dismantled the Panthers in the waning minutes of the game -- outscoring Pitt 27-12 overall in the fourth period. Cardoso is slowly but surely becoming the key to Syracuse's success and it is hard not to notice the obvious. At times, it seems as if Cardoso is playing amongst children. Yes, children. She gobbled up a rebound and blocked a shot with her feet planted on the court in the second half of the ball game. How discouraging must that feel if you are an opponent? Nonetheless, the freshman is coming into her own. Although her field-goal attempts were down once again (4-5), Cardoso impacts the game from the get-go and in many different aspects. She finished the contest with 11 points, 8 rebounds (the majority of which came in the second half), and a game-high 4 blocks. The Orange needs to keep attacking through Cardoso as she develops as an offensive player -- a scary projection to ponder upon if you are an ACC coach who is not known for having the best fashion-sense in the game.
Emily Engstler is the X-Factor: To begin, let's get this clear and out of the way -- Emily Engstler is a starter on a majority of teams around the nation. She is one of the best (if not the best) players to come off the bench in the ACC, as she is averaging a double-double on the season (11.2 points and 10.4 rebounds a game). Engstler secured her double-double against Pitt in the last minute of the game as she drained a 3-pointer off one of seven Kiara Lewis' assists with 17 seconds left to play. That being said, against the Panthers, Engstler could not find the bottom of the net early on in the game if she tried. She shot 3-11 overall (2-5 from deep) but played as hard as anyone on the court. The junior out of New York City did a little bit of everything for Syracuse as she has been all season. Engstler piled up the stat sheet with 12 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks, along with a perfect outing from the charity stripe (4-4).
Note: Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi exploded for her best game of the year. Djladi-Tabdi's previous best on the season was an 8 point performance against Penn Stats back on Dec. 6. Djaldi-Tabdi had a 17 point outburst in 15 minutes of action, including a spectacular showing from the floor (7-8, 3-4 from three).
The Orange could surely use the scoring boost from the Frenchwoman going forward.
