Syracuse women’s basketball (3-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) overcame adversity Wednesday night with an 82-58 win over in-state foe Siena (1-3, 0-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference).
It was another day at the office for SU center Uche Izoje. The sophomore had a team-high 22 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, marking her 16th career double-double.
Syracuse hadn’t trailed in its first two games. That changed in the first quarter, when Siena took multiple leads, including 15-14 with just under two minutes left in the quarter.
SU led by only two points after the first quarter and struggled to find consistency against Siena’s zone for most of the first half.
“They put a 2-3 zone out there, and we didn’t handle the zone well,” head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said. “I didn’t coach a good game against that zone, and I gotta get better.”
With just over three minutes left in the second quarter, SU guard Emely Rodriguez subbed back into the game with two fouls. The Iowa transfer made an immediate impact with a 3-pointer and two free throws, and the ‘Cuse finally found some separation with a 14-5 run to close the half ahead 45-33.
Orange forward Sarah Rambus said Rodriguez changed the game.
“I think Emely changed the game by being very composed and very steady,” Rambus said. “She didn’t get sped up, and I feel like we played off of her. That energy shifted onto us as a team.”
The junior finished with 12 points, second most on the team, and seven rebounds. Rodriguez is currently SU’s second-leading scorer, averaging nearly 13 points per game, and leads the team with three steals per game.
Emely Rodriguez drains a three to start the second half
— Syracuse Women's Basketball (@CuseWBB) November 12, 2026
📺 https://t.co/gcVHlkbOAQ pic.twitter.com/X1enzhjiTa
In the third quarter, Syracuse held Siena at arm’s length but once again failed to break the game open. The Orange continued to bring pressure with a full-court press, which caused five more Siena turnovers. But a quick 6-0 Saints run cut the lead to 13 with under a minute left in the quarter.
In the final 10 minutes, Syracuse finally broke away thanks to an outburst from Izoje. She scored nine of her 22 points in the first five minutes of the quarter. Still, Legette-Jack believes the 22-year-old had more in her.
“I’ve got to do more to get her ready,” Legette-Jack said. “I thought tonight she could easily [go] for 30 and 15, and so I think we understood it again.”
Another 20-point performance for Izoje 😜 pic.twitter.com/xDPRAfwjxe
— Syracuse Women's Basketball (@CuseWBB) November 12, 2026
Syracuse closed out the game with heightened intensity on both ends. The Orange held the Saints to just 10 points on 25% shooting in the fourth quarter, both Siena’s worst marks of any quarter. SU finished the game with 35 points off turnovers, its highest total this season.
The ‘Cuse has a chance to build on the win when it hosts Canisius on Sunday. The Orange beat the Golden Griffins 96-72 in nonconference play a year ago. The 15th meeting between the two programs tips off at 7 p.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome. Follow @WAERSports on X for in-game updates.