Syracuse women's basketball put up quite the fight against seventh-ranked Notre Dame on Sunday but were unable to secure the win. The team will try to get back on track in Atlanta on Thursday evening as they take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
The Orange struggled to score against Notre Dame’s tight defense but imposed the same challenge on their opponent, playing toe-to-toe until a disastrous fourth quarter. The Orange were outscored 22-11 in the fourth quarter; multiple times this season, they have struggled to stay consistent down the stretch.
While the loss is undoubtedly a frustrating one, there are some positives to pull. This is the second time Syracuse has played a top-10 opponent down to the wire. It also came within inches of beating NC State earlier this season.
The Orange have proven that they can compete with the top dogs in college hoops, and that’s no small feat. Their upcoming opponent, on the other hand, has not.
Georgia Tech is 0-7 in conference play and 9-9 on the year. One of the weaker teams in the ACC, the Yellow Jackets, are coming into the matchup ranked last in the conference, whereas Syracuse is currently tied for fourth place.
GT is led by senior guards Cameron Swartz and Bianca Jackson. The pair of guards lead the team in points, minutes, and steals per game. Both players measure in at five-foot-eleven, giving them a decent height advantage over many of Syracuse’s rotation players, including Dyaisha Fair and Teisha Hyman.
Georgia Tech struggles as a team to stop its opponents from scoring. They also average significantly fewer points per game than Syracuse, with the team putting up 60 points per game on the year. The Orange, on the other hand, are scoring an average of 76.7 points per game.
This game provides the Orange with an excellent opportunity to not only earn a conference win but bounce back after a tough loss.
Syracuse was just recently bumped into the next four out in ESPN’s bracketology. Every conference win counts now, so earning one against a struggling team is essential. This is a winnable game for the Orange and a nice break before heading to Durham to face a top 25 Duke team.
The game is set to tip off at 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.