Syracuse entered Wednesday night 6–1 for the second straight season under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack. But that record didn’t tell the whole story. The Orange had cruised through an easy early schedule and still had plenty to prove as they returned to the court to face Auburn in the annual SEC/ACC Challenge.
It wasn’t a pretty start for Syracuse, as SU gave the ball away 4 times within the first 5 minutes. The Orange – who came into today with the third most team turnovers in the ACC – finished with 23 on the night.
The Tigers took advantage of the clumsy play jetting out to an early 17-8 lead. But guard Angelica Velez ended the first quarter on a high note, cutting the deficit to 5 with a steal and score to beat the first quarter buzzer.
A quick timeout was all Syracuse needed to flip the switch. Led by howling defense from the Orange, SU went on a 11-2 run, tying the game at 19 a-piece, erasing any evidence of Auburn’s quick start. In the ensuing offensive possession, guard Dominique Darius gave Syracuse its first lead of the game with a strong right hand layup with contact. After a forced Auburn timeout, the Orange kept their foot on the break, ending the half on a 8-3 mini-run to give Syracuse the 28-23 advantage at half.
To start the third quarter, it was Auburn’s turn to go on a run of its own. Helped by multiple SU turnovers, the Tigers erased SU’s lead and tied the game at 36. Deadlocked at 40 entering the final quarter, Leila Phelia made her second field goal of the game to nudge Syracuse ahead.
From there, the game became a slugfest. Tied at 45 with under five minutes left, Auburn twice reclaimed the lead, including on a Harissoum Coulibaly floater with 14 seconds remaining to make it 52–50. But Syracuse refused to fold. Junior Sophie Burrows calmly drained two free throws to tie it at 52 and send the game to overtime.
In the extra period, Darius – who finished with 19 points – hit back-to-back jumpers to put the Orange up four. After Auburn clawed back to tie it at 56, Phelia finally found her rhythm, scoring four straight to give SU a 60–58 lead with 1:08 to play.
With 37 seconds left, Burrows again stepped to the line and knocked down two more, sealing a gritty 66–60 Syracuse win.
Despite the tight finish, the win carried bigger meaning for Syracuse. It showed the Orange can close out a high-major opponent even when Leila Phelia isn’t carrying the scoring load. Uche Izoje delivered one of the best games of her career with 16 points, and Dominique Darius posted a season-high 20 to lead SU’s offense.
