Syracuse’s defense dominates in 75-48 season-opening win over Sacred Heart

There’s defensive prowess, and then there’s how Syracuse women’s basketball (1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) dismantled Sacred Heart (0-1, 0-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) in a 75-48 season-opening win. The Orange forced 29 turnovers, the most in a single game under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack. SU guard Tyi Skinner said Legette-Jack makes defensive intensity a point of emphasis.

“She doesn’t play about these things,” Skinner said. “And we started off a little slow. We needed to get up and make sure we’re pressing 78 to 94 feet; that’s what we want our energy to be.”

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It was a slow start for the ‘Cuse. SU had just seven points while shooting 3 of 12 in the game’s first five minutes. But then the Orange started turning defense into offense. Syracuse went on a 16-4 run to end the first quarter, forcing nine turnovers for 13 points.

“We want to play the game fast,” Legette-Jack said. “We’re in pretty good shape, and we’re pretty fast … I want to play out in transition.”

One player who exemplified that was SU forward Célaine Ricco. The freshman made her debut off the bench four minutes into the game and immediately became a menace on the defensive end. She collected five steals in six Sacred Heart possessions and scored or assisted on four baskets off those turnovers.

“I think [Ricco] is going to be a special force for us,” Legette-Jack said. “She’ll grab that ball with her teeth if she has to. She loves that toughness. She loves that freedom.”

Ricco finished with seven steals, the most by an individual player since 2021.

“She gets us going,” Skinner said of her teammate. “She’s really fast and quick, and we really look to her to do those things. We know that she can do it in practice, and she just showed she can do it in a game; it’s no surprise to us.”

It wasn’t just Ricco. Syracuse as a whole had 23 steals, the most in a game since 2017. Sacred Heart took almost 30 fewer shots than SU and shot less than 30% from the field.

But it wasn’t a perfect season debut for the ‘Cuse. Shooting was a struggle. Syracuse shot just 37% from the field and 20% from 3-point range.

“We want to have 80 points and only give up 59 this season,” Legette-Jack said. “We did the defensive thing, but we didn’t get the extra points, which comes down to free throws and things of that nature.”

Syracuse can work toward that goal when it faces Cornell on Sunday at noon. Follow @WAERSports on X for updates.