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Four minutes into its contest at Cal Sunday, Syracuse trailed 7-2. It’d missed its first six shots. It needed a change.

SU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack subbed in freshman Keira Scott, and a few minutes later, the Orange took a 10-9 lead. Scott jumped on the board with two points inside and later drew her defender in the corner before dishing to Kyra Wood in the paint for a 2.

More Syracuse players came off the bench to make an impact Sunday. Point guard Olivia Schmitt played a career-high 26 minutes and dished out four assists, and Shy Hawkins tallied eight points, including shooting 4-for-4 on free throws.

The Orange’s bench combined for 18 points, consistently stepping up when needed. Meanwhile, Cal received just seven points off the bench. Despite its bench’s effort to keep the game close until the final minute, Syracuse (10-15, 4-10 Atlantic Coast) fell 75-69 to California (21-6, 9-5 Atlantic Coast), dropping its second straight contest.

“They really thought that they really could be in the winner’s circle, because they left it out there. There was nothing left,” Legette-Jack said.

Early on, it didn’t look like Syracuse would need to rely heavily on its bench after it rallied to end the first quarter.

Sophie Burrows scored seven points in the first 10 minutes, already surpassing her total of six versus Stanford Thursday. And in the second quarter, Georgia Woolley got going by hitting a 3.

But Legette-Jack liked what she saw from her bench players, so she continued to play them. SU’s starting point guard Dominique Camp had started 13 of the last 14 games and hit a mid-range jumper in the first. But eight minutes into the game, Legette-Jack turned to Schmitt.

With Schmitt controlling the reins of SU’s offense, it outscored Cal 18-14 in the second quarter.

A few minutes into the second, Schmitt nailed a 3 with a defender in her face. It marked her second triple since SU’s win over Dartmouth, and her confidence started to take over.

“(Schmitt) leaves it out on the line,” Legette-Jack said. “She stayed ready, and we needed her and she showed up.”

Schmitt continued to dazzle, swiping two steals in the quarter and found Hawkins for a layup seconds before halftime to give SU a one-point lead entering the break.

Though early in the third quarter, the Golden Bears went on a 7-0 run, and the Orange trailed by five. In response, Hawkins helped dig SU out of its deficit.

Hawkins, who had been impressing at recent practices according to Legette-Jack, ended the run with a pass to Wood inside. Soon after, she worked her way to the free throw line twice, knocking down all four shots.

“She’s doing the most unselfish things that there’s got to be a place for her on that court,” Legette-Jack said on Feb. 5. “That’s a different kind of freshman, and that’s a different kind of star that’s gonna be born soon.”

As the Orange looked to climb back, Legette-Jack saw another chance for a lineup change. With Wood and Izabel Varejão getting off to a slow start, the head coach sent Saniaa Wilson into the game.

Wilson, who had transferred from Buffalo with Legette-Jack, made the most of her seven minutes. Since scoring a season-high 16 points against Dartmouth, Wilson’s tallied at least two points in nine of the last 10 games.

And in the third quarter, she continued to make an impact. Like Hawkins, Wilson worked her way to the free throw line twice in the frame, going 3-for-4. Schmitt also helped SU cut its deficit by making a cross-court pass to Woolley for 3. Consequently, Syracuse trailed by one heading into the fourth.

However, in the final stages of the fourth quarter, the Orange came up short. With Wood and Varejão struggling, SU found itself just a few points behind Cal, and its bench couldn’t provide the difference.

With a few minutes left, the Golden Bears stepped up their defensive pressure and forced a crucial steal from Schmitt. Cal’s leading scorer, Ioanna Krimili, intercepted a handoff and took it the distance.

SU turned to Woolley and Burrows for key shots in the final seconds, but they each missed the mark, leading to another close-game loss for the Orange.

“This is a team you really can get behind because we’re not going to stop here,” Legette-Jack said. “We’re coming. I just know that light is on right now.”

Published on February 16, 2025 at 10:52 pm

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