Syracuse Uses Second Half Comeback to Defeat Florida State

By James Corrigan

CitrusTV’s Women’s Basketball Beat Reporter

Just like the season that preceded it, today’s game was a roller coaster.

From getting off to their typical sluggish start and going down 13 in the second half, to seeing Priscilla Williams suffer what appeared to be a frightening head injury and be stretchered off the Greensboro floor, to then storming back to tie and eventually defeat Florida State in the ACC tournament quarterfinals 68-67 on a buzzer beating layup by Kamilla Cardoso.

With 5.3 seconds left in the 4th quarter and Syracuse trailing by 1, the Orange were inbounding the ball underneath the Seminole basket. Kiara Lewis attempted to inbound the ball to Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi, who nearly lost it out of bounds. She picked the ball up and threw it to Lewis in the corner, who heaved up a desperation three. The shot missed the rim, but Cardoso was all alone under the basket to grab the miss and lay in at the buzzer.

“We knew they would expect a lob to Kamilla. I thought we had a clean catch, but Maeva bobbled

“I can honestly say that Kamilla grew up today.” Head coach Quentin Hillsman said. “Because she didn’t give up on a play. She had every reason to say ‘she missed a shot, game’s over.’ And she stayed with it, got the rebound, had the wherewithal to put the ball back up on the glass. That’s just a big girl play.”

The game was played under a dark cloud after Priscilla Williams hit her head on the court in the second quarter while attempting to take a charge. After an over ten minute delay, she was taken off the court on a stretcher. Williams told the TV broadcast team at halftime that Williams had movement in all her limbs and was responsive.

“I was over there with her the entire time and she was coherent,” Williams said. “She was really scared and really nervous. I mean, when you have that kind of injury, everyone’s concerned, everyone’s nervous and she was, but she was really positive. She looked at me and nodded her head and said she was okay. And we just tried to finish the game off the best we could. It was tough, but we got through it.”

Cardoso lead the Orange with 16 points and 13 rebounds, and was one of five SU players in double figures. Kiara Lewis poured in 12 points, Digna Strautmane and Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi each had 11, and Emily Engstler had 10 including a half court shot to beat the third quarter buzzer. Notably absent was Tiana Mangakahia, who missed her second straight ACC tournament game.

Fifth seed Syracuse will play top seed Louisville in the semifinals of the ACC tournament tomorrow at 12 PM.

jucorrig@syr.edu | @realcorrigan