Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack paused for a moment in her postgame press conference. She tried to recall how many games Syracuse had played so far this season.

“This is game (number) what? Three, four?” she asked.

When it was confirmed that it was SU’s third game of the season, despite having a losing record for the first time since 2021 — before Legette-Jack was Syracuse’s head coach — she saw it as a positive. The bump in the road for the Orange came early in the season.

Joining Syracuse in the locker room Wednesday was alumna Dyaisha Fair, who graduated last season as the third-highest scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history. In the wake of a second straight loss, Fair offered a message to the freshmen.

“Listen, I know it’s uncomfortable. You think you know everything, but just try to listen,” Legette-Jack said, recalling what Fair told the team. “(Legette-Jack) can help you, if you just allow her.”

Syracuse (1-2, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) followed up a 84-70 loss to Saint Joseph’s Sunday — its first home nonconference loss since 2019 — with a 84-73 defeat to No. 11 Maryland (4-0, 0-0 Big Ten) Wednesday. SU jumped out to an early lead, but a 15-0 run by Maryland in the second quarter gave it a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

SU has allowed exactly 84 points in all three of its games so far this season. It overcame the tally in its season-opening win over Niagara. But its last two games have resulted in losses, causing Legette-Jack to call for SU’s defense to improve.

“We used to win games with 73 points, but you got to be able to stop somebody,” Legette-Jack said. “And down the stretch, we didn’t stop anybody.”

With 3:53 left in the game, Syracuse reeled in Maryland to within four points at 70-66 after Georgia Woolley made a jumper. Following Woolley’s basket, Legette-Jack said that she sensed SU could go on a run when it mattered most.

But SU could not string together stops or convert on offense. Instead, it repeatedly sent Maryland to the free-throw line. The Terrapins shot 9-for-10 from the charity stripe in the last three minutes.

“Eventually our defensive progress is going to show its beautiful face, but (right now) there’s no excuse,” Legette-Jack said.

Syracuse had one change in its starting lineup. Sophomore Angelica Velez got the nod to start over Dominique Camp. The sixth-year point guard played nearly 19 minutes in the second half and logged 10 points, but didn’t see any action in the first half because “she didn’t practice that well,” per Legette-Jack.

For her part, Velez’s impact was instant. Fifteen seconds in, she zipped a pass across the court to find Woolley open in the left corner. Woolley swished the 3-pointer to put the Orange on the board.

The Brisbane, Australia, native scored SU’s first eight points. Off another Velez pass, Woolley launched from the top of the arc and her shot was pure. Maryland responded with a 3 of its own when Sarah Te-Biasu converted a contested shot before Woolley made a layup.

“I just happened to be on the end of the points going through the basket, but I think we came out really strong and focused,” Woolley said.

As the seconds ticked away to close the first period, Sophie Burrows picked up her second offensive board of the game. Once she gained separation in the right corner, Burrows made a 3 before the buzzer sounded to hand Syracuse a 20-14 lead. In SU’s first two games of the season, Burrows has shot a healthy 5-for-8 from 3, and her form continued into Wednesday’s game. She shot 3-for-4 from 3 and finished with 13 points.

SU extended its lead to 24-14 at the 8:13 mark of the second quarter. But then the Orange’s advantage evaporated as Maryland went on a 15-0 run in four minutes to put it in front 29-24. Ultimately, the Terrapins outscored SU 28-11 in the second quarter. They shot 12-for-17 (70.6%), propelling them to an 11-point halftime lead off a 10-2 run to close the frame.

“It’s unfortunate that second quarter took place, and I take blame myself, because I think I put the wrong kids in the wrong time,” Legette-Jack said.

Three minutes into the third quarter, an Allie Kubek layup pushed Maryland’s lead to 13 — its largest of the game up to that point. SU struggled to contain the Terrapins down low, allowing space in the paint and not defending without fouling. The Orange had 18 fouls Wednesday, giving Maryland 24 free throws — 14 of which were in the fourth quarter.

Syracuse responded with a run of points to trim the deficit to single digits. Camp netted a 3-pointer and Burrows sank a jumper while the Orange forced two charges on the defensive end. Plus, they got Kyra Wood going inside, registering eight third-quarter points.

But no Syracuse run could be sustained, and Maryland maintained its distance from the Orange by working the ball down low, scoring 36 points in the paint. On a sequence early in the fourth quarter, the Terrapins had three close-range attempts, rebounding their misses to extend the possession. Eventually, Christina Dalce was fouled.

Camp drained a 3 to make it 62-56 Maryland with 7:59 to go. But again the Terrapins answered with two layups to protect their cushion.

Izabel Varejão, who fouled out with four points in 14 minutes after two fruitful outings against Niagara and Saint Joseph’s, scored and then intercepted a Maryland pass. Woolley took advantage of Varejão’s steal to make it a four-point deficit with under four minutes to go.

SU then went cold, only scoring seven more points and allowing Maryland to pull away as the clock waned. The Terrapins were sent to the free-throw line and cashed in on their opportunities.

While Syracuse may be 1-2, Legette-Jack said SU has a long way to go. After all, as Legette-Jack needed reminding, this is only game three.

“Our veterans are getting better, and they’re understanding the assignment more, but you can’t beat the No. (11) team in the country by giving them 84 points,” Legette-Jack said.

Published on November 13, 2024 at 9:21 pm

Contact Nicholas: njalumka@syr.edu | @nalumkal