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The Daily OrangeWLAX | Syracuse clinches NCAA bid with 2nd straight Big East tourney win
By Christopher James
Posted: 4/27/08, 9:49 PM EST Section: Sports
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Katie Rowan stood with her hands on her knees. Held to a single goal, Rowan had just been pushed back by another Georgetown double team.
Moments later Rowan was shoved to the deck cutting across the fan and was awarded a free-position shot. Picking herself up slowly, she took the chance and scored, giving Syracuse its first lead all day with 19:28 remaining.
Rowan and the prolific No. 3 Orange offense had finally broken through.
The score was part of an eight-goal Syracuse barrage that sparked a come-from-behind 12-6 win over No. 7 Georgetown in front of 216 here at Notre Dame Stadium to clinch the Orange's second consecutive Big East tournament championship.
With the win, Syracuse (16-2) will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament in two weeks. For the first time since 2002-03, SU will head to the NCAAs in consecutive years.
And to get there, the Orange had to do something it hasn't accomplished all season: win a game in which it trailed at halftime.
After losing 18-3 at the Carrier Dome earlier this season, Georgetown head coach Ricky Fried said his team came into the game trying to force Rowan out of a comfort zone and making her pass to a second option.
It worked through the first 30 minutes.
"Syracuse is going to score some goals," Fried said. "They've got some great players. … We had to press and go out one-on-one against them, which is a difficult task for any team."
The Hoyas used a smothering defense in the first half that shut down the Orange offense. Syracuse couldn't find any open space in front of the goal as Georgetown turned the fan into a mixer the minute an SU player made a drive.
"They were very aggressive," said Rowan, the tournament's most valuable player. "(They) knocked me down. … They were looking to double so we just had to keep moving the ball around."
That motion was a challenge for Syracuse in the first half. The Hoyas jumped to a 3-0 lead, and the Orange began rushing shots when it got a look at all. Rowan and teammate Christina Dove spent most of the first half backpedaling as the defense cut off drive after drive.
Moments later Rowan was shoved to the deck cutting across the fan and was awarded a free-position shot. Picking herself up slowly, she took the chance and scored, giving Syracuse its first lead all day with 19:28 remaining.
Rowan and the prolific No. 3 Orange offense had finally broken through.
The score was part of an eight-goal Syracuse barrage that sparked a come-from-behind 12-6 win over No. 7 Georgetown in front of 216 here at Notre Dame Stadium to clinch the Orange's second consecutive Big East tournament championship.
With the win, Syracuse (16-2) will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament in two weeks. For the first time since 2002-03, SU will head to the NCAAs in consecutive years.
And to get there, the Orange had to do something it hasn't accomplished all season: win a game in which it trailed at halftime.
After losing 18-3 at the Carrier Dome earlier this season, Georgetown head coach Ricky Fried said his team came into the game trying to force Rowan out of a comfort zone and making her pass to a second option.
It worked through the first 30 minutes.
"Syracuse is going to score some goals," Fried said. "They've got some great players. … We had to press and go out one-on-one against them, which is a difficult task for any team."
The Hoyas used a smothering defense in the first half that shut down the Orange offense. Syracuse couldn't find any open space in front of the goal as Georgetown turned the fan into a mixer the minute an SU player made a drive.
"They were very aggressive," said Rowan, the tournament's most valuable player. "(They) knocked me down. … They were looking to double so we just had to keep moving the ball around."
That motion was a challenge for Syracuse in the first half. The Hoyas jumped to a 3-0 lead, and the Orange began rushing shots when it got a look at all. Rowan and teammate Christina Dove spent most of the first half backpedaling as the defense cut off drive after drive.
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