Syracuse Women’s Basketball National Ranking Dips
After remaining undefeated through its first four games, the Orange chalked up its first loss of the season to the North Carolina Tarheels, shaking up the rankings. They went on to beat Boston College 83-70 to cap off the week 1-1 (5-1, 4-1). Syracuse is now ranked No. 22 in the latest edition of the Associated Press poll.
Syracuse was ranked No. 23 to tipoff the season, however, a hot start catapulted the Orange to No. 18. A beat down via the Tarheels meant SU needed a strong performance vs Boston College Sunday afternoon to remain in the top 25.
And they gave one.
With Tiana Mangakahia out with a left foot injury she suffered in the win vs Miami, the ladies made it a mission to work the ball from the paint, rather than the perimeter. Freshman Kamilla Cardoso was dominant down low when given the chance, scoring 24 points on a near-perfect night from the field (10-11). The Orange took 14 threes on the night, compared to 24 in the loss against the Tar Heels.
Kiara Lewis once again found herself playing nearly every minute of the game (39/40), something coach Quentin Hillsman has addressed in the past as he does not find the scenario ideal for his team. With the absence of Mangakahia, Lewis was asked to do a bit more. Close to posting a double-double with a stat line of 20 points and eight assists, she answered the bell.
Lewis did however record seven turnovers vs Boston College. The Orange have been struggling to protect the ball all year, making the win vs the Eagles a third time the team has turned the ball over at least 20 times this season.
Freshman Priscilla Williams cut down her perimeter shots, attempting just one three (1-1), to make it a concerted effort to get inside. Williams finished the game with 14 points on seven shot attempts while showing her beautiful touch at the charity strike, going 5-5.
Digna Strautmane and Emily Engstler each grabbed double-digit rebounds in the win vs the Eagles. Engstler added a game-high three blocks in just her third game back from injury playing in significant minutes (played 19 minutes in her first game back vs Penn State).
The ladies will have eight days of rest before their next game which is scheduled to be played at the Carrier Dome vs the Morgan State Bears. Tip-off is set for Dec. 28, 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ACCN.
