Syracuse Dominates Ohio in Final Non-Conference Road Game

By Carson Fowler | @CarsonFowlerTV

Syracuse picks up its fifth-straight win of the season in an 82-62 defeat over Ohio on the road.

The Orange led by just a point at half-time but started the second half on an 11-0 run. SU held OU to just seven points in the third quarter to jump out to a 17-point fourth-quarter lead and eventually close out the game.

OU had no answer for Syracuse defensively. The Bobcats finished the game 21-of-63 from the floor (33%), the only spark on offense – a 23-point (7-9 3P) effort from freshman Bailey Tabeling. SU used a variety of defensive sets, mostly 1-3-1 zone and man-to-man, to confuse the OU offense and force it to take contested three-point shots (10-34 3P). Syracuse utilized its size against a much smaller Ohio team, winning the battle on the glass 51-33 and grabbing 21 offensive rebounds that turned into 15 second-chance points. 

Career day for Saniaa Wilson, who finished the game with a career-high 18 points (5-5 FG) and eight boards — she also went 8-10 from the free throw line. By far Wilson’s best game of the season, she filled the gap left by Izabel Varejão, who did not travel with the team to Athens, OH, as she was out with an undisclosed illness per the team. 

SU benefits immensely from having so many threats on offense — Coach Jack, on any given night, is very confident she can play eight players and have them all contribute on the stat sheet. Eight players today with a field goal or more against the Bobcats, and four of those eight players finished the game in double-figures.

Dyaisha Fair led the way for the Orange in this one, Fair finished the game with 21 points and five three-balls. Since Fair’s nine-point effort against Northern Iowa, the graduate student’s been on an absolute tear — averaging over 20 points, shooting 50% from the floor and almost 56% from downtown. 

Syracuse (8-1) gets the week off to prepare for Cornell (5-4) on Monday, Dec. 18, at 7:00 PM.