Spring Break
The Daily OrangeWBB | SU has no answers in loss to Seton Hall
By Didier Morais
Posted: 1/14/09, 3:45 AM EST Section: Sports
"We put our best defensive player on (Jones)," Mangina said. "I know a lot of people wanted us to focus on Morrow, but Jones is that other player that really makes them go. Plus, she rebounds the ball, we needed to put a bigger guard on their strongest player, and we did that to make them struggle."
In addition to pressure, the Pirates forced the Syracuse guards to commit numerous turnovers and the Pirates scored transition points in the process. That ability to take advantage of fast-break points ultimately led to a 19-7 run by Seton Hall to start the game.
And yet again, the Orange dug itself into a difficult hole in the first half. Trailing by 16 points with 12 minutes remaining, Syracuse regained its bravado and did what it does best - charged right back with another run.
But it wasn't an ordinary run. Michael and Morrow cracked down on defense, forced turnovers, and drained shots at will en route to an improbable 20-4 run to put SU back into contention. And with two minutes left in the game, Michael followed up a missed shot with a clutch layup to notch the game up at 66.
Still, the late-game heroics didn't faze the Pirates. Prior to the game, Mangina knew of the Orange's history and prepared her team accordingly to fend them off during the waning minutes of the game.
"We told them at halftime," Mangina said. "We told them (Syracuse) plays better second halves than most teams we face, and we better rebound the basketball and take care of the ball a little bit better. (Syracuse) has gotten down on a lot of games this year and has come back, so we just did enough to hold on at the end."
Once Syracuse tied up the game, Seton Hall relied on its free-throw shooting to prevent another Syracuse comeback. With 10 seconds left in the game, the Orange fouled Pirates' guard Ebonie Williams. Williams converted both free throws to essentially seal the victory for Seton Hall.
The Orange never led throughout the game because it simply couldn't overcome its usual first-half struggles, leaving Hillsman searching for answers to the strange habit.
"I know that we are prepared," Hillsman said. "I know that our kids come out and play with maximum effort every game. It's not effort, it's not preparation. It's hard to explain when you feel like you have everything under control and you just can't get off to good starts."
dsmorais@syr.edu
In addition to pressure, the Pirates forced the Syracuse guards to commit numerous turnovers and the Pirates scored transition points in the process. That ability to take advantage of fast-break points ultimately led to a 19-7 run by Seton Hall to start the game.
And yet again, the Orange dug itself into a difficult hole in the first half. Trailing by 16 points with 12 minutes remaining, Syracuse regained its bravado and did what it does best - charged right back with another run.
But it wasn't an ordinary run. Michael and Morrow cracked down on defense, forced turnovers, and drained shots at will en route to an improbable 20-4 run to put SU back into contention. And with two minutes left in the game, Michael followed up a missed shot with a clutch layup to notch the game up at 66.
Still, the late-game heroics didn't faze the Pirates. Prior to the game, Mangina knew of the Orange's history and prepared her team accordingly to fend them off during the waning minutes of the game.
"We told them at halftime," Mangina said. "We told them (Syracuse) plays better second halves than most teams we face, and we better rebound the basketball and take care of the ball a little bit better. (Syracuse) has gotten down on a lot of games this year and has come back, so we just did enough to hold on at the end."
Once Syracuse tied up the game, Seton Hall relied on its free-throw shooting to prevent another Syracuse comeback. With 10 seconds left in the game, the Orange fouled Pirates' guard Ebonie Williams. Williams converted both free throws to essentially seal the victory for Seton Hall.
The Orange never led throughout the game because it simply couldn't overcome its usual first-half struggles, leaving Hillsman searching for answers to the strange habit.
"I know that we are prepared," Hillsman said. "I know that our kids come out and play with maximum effort every game. It's not effort, it's not preparation. It's hard to explain when you feel like you have everything under control and you just can't get off to good starts."
dsmorais@syr.edu
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