Syracuse women’s basketball improved to 3-0 on the season Monday night after yet another resounding victory over the Binghamton Bearcats. The final score was 92-59 in favor of the Orange.
As the score would suggest, the Syracuse offense was outstanding. The team shot 50% from the field and recorded 68 points in the paint. Their field goal percentage improved from 46.6% in their last game against Colgate, which can be partially attributed to shot selection.
The Orange took just seven shots from beyond the arch and only made one. When the team and Head Coach Felisha Legette-Jack realized their best bet was shots in the paint, the Orange adjusted. This allowed them to pile on the points in the second and third quarters. Legette-Jack discussed this in the post-game press conference.
“We can’t live and die by the three-point ball,” said Legette-Jack. “So, even though they’re backing away, go beat them in the paint. I think that they’re realizing that that’s a better percentage for us.”
While the entire team played quite well, Dyaisha Fair and Dariauna Lewis were the stars of the show. Lewis recorded her third straight double-double, and Fair scored a team-high 19 points.
On top of her double-double, Lewis recorded four blocks and a steal without committing a foul. Both her and fair played with energy that was unmatched by any other player on the floor. She remained humble about her success during the post-game press conference, however.
“I like when I can let my other teammates go in and shine as well,” she said when asked about how it felt to earn some rest in the fourth quarter. “It’s not always just about one person. It’s a team.”
The Orange defense had been a point of slight concern through the first two games of the season, but they looked sharp and prepared for Binghamton’s star player, Clare Traeger. Coming into this game, Traeger was averaging 15 points per game. She recorded just six against the Orange.
This forced other members of the Binghamton squad to step up. The most complete performance came from freshman guard Meghan Casey. She was able to score when Traeger was locked up, but like everyone else on her team, was unable to score enough to overcome the deficit induced by the Syracuse offense.
While Binghamton is a far cry from the opponents the Orange will face in ACC play, the win is surely worth something, especially given how resounding the victory was. If anything, this game should be a confidence boost for the Orange. They got the job done on both ends of the court, which is something they will have to continue into ACC play to stand a shot against the nation’s top teams.
The Orange are back in action Thursday night against the Long Island University Sharks. Tipoff is set for 7 P.M. in the JMA Wireless Dome.