CINCINNATI -- Syracuse (20-7, 8-6) overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat Cincinnati (8-18, 1-13) on Tuesday night at Fifth Third Arena. With the win, the Orange posted its second-consecutive 20-win season and the fifth in its 40-year history. It also marks the first back-to-back 20-win seasons in program history.
Sophomore center Kayla Alexander led the Orange offensively for the second-consecutive game, notching 18 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Carmen Tyson-Thomas was second on the team with 14 points – including 10 in the first half – and four rebounds. Junior guard Iasia Hemingway rounded out the double-digit scorers, notching her fifth SU double-double with 10 points and a team-best 11 rebounds while adding three blocks.
Sophomore guard Elashier Hall added four points and five rebounds to the Orange effort while senior guard Erica Morrow directed the offense with a team-best five assists.
Cincinnati outscored Syracuse, 20-5, through the first 10 minutes of the contest, holding the Orange without a field goal until the 8:15 minute mark.
SU began to close the gap toward the end of the first half, outscoring UC, 19-12, through the remainder of regulation to go into the break trailing, 32-24.
The Orange used a 9-2 scoring spurt out the intermission to pull within one, 34-33, with 18:18 left on the clock. Alexander had four points in the run while Hall added three.
A layup by Alexander at the 16:35 minute mark gave the Orange its first lead of the contest, 35-33. SU outscored the Bearcats, 7-2, through the next two minutes to extend its lead, 42-36, with 14:17 left to play.
Cincinnati pulled within one, 42-41, at the 11:06 mark of the second half, but that was as close as they would come as the teams traded baskets through the remainder of regulation with Syracuse maintaining at least a two point buffer to secure the win, 55-53.
Syracuse returns to the friendly confines of the Carrier Dome when it hosts Providence on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 1 p.m. The contest will mark the home finale in the collegiate careers of seniors Morrow and Tasha Harris, who will be honored in a pre-game Senior Day ceremony.
Courtesy: SU Athletics
