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Syracuse has been plagued by injuries throughout this season. Top rebounders Izabel Varejão and Kyra Wood have each been briefly sidelined. As a result, SU has fallen behind in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Against Boston College, the injury bug struck again. Georgia Woolley, who missed time in SU’s loss to Louisville, didn’t start for the Orange for the first time since 2022-23.

The Eagles took a 32-9 first-quarter lead, and the Orange never overcame the uphill battle. BC’s Teya Sidberry and Dontavia Waggoner combined for 43 points, while SU shot 28% from the field.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (7-11, 1-6 ACC) 92-51 loss to Boston College (12-8, 3-4 ACC):

Offense slow without Woolley

As BC grew an 8-0 lead, SU’s offense searched for answers but continued to come up empty. Shy Hawkins missed a close look inside, and over the next few possessions, the freshman turned the ball over and missed another shot.

SU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, who’s rarely used a two-point guard lineup this season, paired Dominique Camp with Angelica Velez, but it didn’t stall BC’s momentum. Out of SU’s early timeout, Velez tried to squeeze the ball into the paint but coughed it up. The next possession, Camp did the same.

Meanwhile, the Eagles were firing on all cylinders, taking a 23-4 lead seven minutes in. As SU looked to cut the deficit, it rushed shots on the offensive end. Early in the shot clock, Keira Scott had her back to the basket and heaved a turnaround jumper from the free throw line that missed.

In the final two minutes of the first quarter, Syracuse’s struggles continued. Journey Thompson, who had some of her best performances earlier in January, threw the ball out of bounds. Then Sophie Burrows, SU’s co-leading scorer against Louisville, turned it over for SU’s sixth of the contest. After the first 10 minutes, Syracuse trailed Boston College 32-9, facing its largest first-quarter deficit of the season.

Perimeter shooting discrepancy

Boston College grew its lead through its strong shooting from deep. After SU’s first field goal at the 5:49 mark of the first quarter, the Eagles’ leading scorer T’yana Todd connected on her first triple of the contest, pushing BC’s lead to 13-3.

A couple of minutes later, the Eagles second best 3-point shooter, Kaylah Ivey, hit another. Todd followed it up with a 3 on BC’s next possession, ballooning its lead to 23-4. Down by its largest deficit to that point, Burrows responded with a triple, but that was SU’s only 3 of the first half.

Throughout the first 20 minutes, Syracuse chucked up low percentage looks from outside the paint. In the first quarter, Hawkins missed shots with her heels on the 3-point arch. Then midway through the second quarter, Scott took a baseline jumper a foot inside of the arch which clanked off the iron.

BC added to its lead as Todd converted her third 3 late in the first quarter, and Ivey hit her second later in the first half. The Eagles finished the first half 5-of-9 from deep while the Orange shot a lowly 1-of-8.

Burrows builds off season-high

Against Louisville, Burrows’ season-high 17 points on 4-of-9 3-point shooting was one of the bright spots. The sophomore had 11 points in the first quarter alone, but her strong game didn’t translate to a win for the Orange.

Three days later at the Conte Forum, Burrows continued to be one of SU’s key performers. While the Eagles grew a 48-21 halftime lead, Burrows scored seven points, including Syracuse’s only triple.

The Eagles started the third quarter on a 10-0 run, and Burrows ended it with a step-back jumper. Late in the third quarter, BC’s offense fell silent, and Burrows helped SU take advantage. With a minute left, she converted her second 3 of the game, part of SU’s 11-2 run to end the third.

Burrows hit another triple in the fourth, finishing with a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds. It was the second straight game in which Burrows led the Orange in scoring.

Lack of experience shows

One of the largest differences between the Eagles and the Orange was their experience on the floor. BC junior Sidberry and graduate Waggoner each scored more than 20 points.

Meanwhile, Syracuse relied on its underclassmen to overcome Boston College’s plethora of veterans. Hawkins, a freshman, made the first start of her collegiate career and failed to find her rhythm early on, with multiple missed shots and a turnover to start. Scott, one of SU’s top-ranked freshmen, also shot low-percentage looks in the first half.

Early in the third quarter with Syracuse trailing 48-21, it turned to Olivia Schmitt to regain some momentum. Schmitt, who sat for four straight games, returned against Louisville and contributed two of SU’s six early turnovers in the third versus BC. The Eagles capitalized off the takeaways as they grew their lead to 58-21.

As Sidberry and Waggoner continued to carve the Orange offensively, SU freshman Madeline Potts knocked down a corner triple in the final minute of the third. But Potts finished the game 1-of-10. Collectively, SU’s freshman shot 4-of-25.

Published on January 19, 2025 at 2:16 pm

Contact Timmy at: tswilcox@syr.edu | @TimmyWilcox32