The Syracuse women’s basketball team is looking to tack on another win Wednesday night as they take on the Purdue Boilermakers in the annual ACC/Big Ten challenge.
Last Friday, the Orange improved to 5-1 on the season after a bounce-back win against Bucknell 65-48.
Dyaisha Fair put up 25 points, a season-high for the senior guard. 20 of her points came in the first half alone. The second half was dominated by Teisha Hyman and Dariauna Lewis, who registered 15 and 9 points, respectively.
The win against Bucknell came after a brutal loss at Penn State that saw a total collapse in the fourth quarter. The Orange got outscored by 23 points in the fourth, which allowed a significant lead to slip away.
Penn State was the first power five opponent the Orange had faced so far this season. Purdue will be the second. Penn State was also the Orange’s first game on the road, and Purdue will be the second.
Purdue comes into the matchup 6-1 on the season. Their sole loss came against Florida State in the Cancun Challenge last Friday. Much like the Orange against Penn State, the Boilermakers collapsed in the fourth quarter, ultimately leading to the loss.
The Boilermakers’ offense is led by senior guard Lasha Petree, who is averaging 18.3 points per game. She’s achieved this in just 24.4 minutes per game, tied for third on the team. Senior guard Jeanae Terry acts as an offensive facilitator for Purdue, averaging 8.3 assists per game this season in 30.1 minutes.
Unlike the Orange, the Boilermakers played another power five opponent, Oklahoma State. They won that game 71-65, their smallest margin of victory on the season. Petree recorded 20 points in the win.
The Orange came alive in the second half against Bucknell, something Head Coach Felisha Legette-Jack attributed to the team’s energy finally connecting to create synergy. If they can carry that momentum into West Lafayette, the game is within their reach.
Tipoff is set for 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday in Purdue’s Mackey Arena. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.