Syracuse earns three-seed, will host NCAA tournament game for second time in software history
For the second time in program history, Syracuse will host an NCAA event sport. The Orange (24-8, eleven-5 Atlantic Coast) earned a application-quality No. 3 seed within the Portland area and could face No. 14 Fordham this Saturday in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse entered this season as the No. 15 group and cruised beyond North Dakota in its season-opener. It then traveled to then-No.3 Oregon and misplaced a near contest 75-seventy three. If SU advances to the Sweet 16, it can likely face Oregon, which earned a No. 2 seed.
After a 1-1 begin, the Orange won their next 5 games — together with towards then-ranked fighters. They pulled away late against Texas A&M in a neutral site. They capped off an undefeated Cancun Challenge with an overtime win towards DePaul after a buzzer-beater by Tiana Mangakahia. SU’s next loss came against a then-ranked Minnesota crew on the street in a near 72-68 contest on Nov. 29. That might be Syracuse’s remaining ranked. Take a look at till the new yr. It steamrolled the remainder of its nonconference timetable, scoring a minimum of 94 points in 3-directly. It then swept returned-to-returned games inside the St. Pete Shootout earlier than opening convention play with a win towards Clemson. Syracuse pulled out another overtime victory at Virginia Tech on Jan.
Syracuse faltered against a lowly Georgia Tech squad, sixty five-55, on the street after stringing together extra conference wins. 6 as Mangakahia and redshirt freshman center Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi mixed for 45 of SU’s seventy-five points. That changed into followed up using a thirteen-point domestic loss to then-No—23 Miami, marking the primary Carrier Dome-loss for the Orange to that point. Kiara Lewis propelled SU to a win at Duke on Jan. 27, which continued in a near-win against Virginia. In their subsequent large take a look at, the Orange were blown out by using Louisville — a No. 1 seed within the NCAA event — seventy six-51, for its 1/3 loss in 5 games. SU then dropped its next ranked game at domestic against North Carolina State as Syracuse’s three-factor shooting wasn’t enough. After two smooth wins, the Orange set their season-excessive in attendance (7,568) but were crushed by Notre Dame, ninety-eight-sixty-eight, as four special UND scorers published 15-plus factors.
Still, head instruct Quentin Hillsman saved his intention: he wanted Syracuse to be a top-four seed. It nevertheless had probabilities for exceptional wins. It outlasted Florida State with forty-four factors via Mangakahia on Feb. 28 for its first-ranked win in extra than a month. It then ended the regular season with an easy win at Boston College, in which Mangakahia scored her 1,000th factor. Syracuse then advanced to the semifinals of last week’s ACC match earlier than losing to Notre Dame for the second time this season.
The two wins in opposition to Virginia and Miami but seemed to have secured SU a top-four seed. Mangakahia carried Syracuse, earning an All-tournament team choice. “I suggest we’ve got a ten RPI. And I think, what, a three strength of schedule,” Hillsman stated after SU’s ACC event loss to Notre Dame. “If we don’t (get to host NCAA tournament games), I mean, they’re going to must trade the entire criteria.” On Monday night, Syracuse discovered that its upcoming event appearance — 9th-basic and fifth-instantly — could be historic. The winner of Syracuse’s first-round matchup will play the winner of No. Eleven seed Quinnipiac includes Orange ahead Digna Strautmane’s sister Paula — and No. 6 South Dakota State.
