SYRACUSE -- The Syracuse women's basketball team captured its third consecutive postseason victory and has advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) following a 74-59 win against Virginia Commonwealth Friday night at Manley Field House.
The Orange overcame a five-point deficit mid-way through the second half and out-scored the Rams 26-6 down the stretch en route to the victory. The win improves Syracuse's single-season program record to 25 overall.
SU trailed 53-48 with 7:59 remaining in the second half. However, freshman center Kayla Alexander sparked the decisive run with two free throws out of an official timeout. The Orange scored 13 points from the foul line in the final eight minutes.
Alexander led the Orange with 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting overall. She collected six rebounds and blocked four VCU shot attempts.
Senior forward Nicole Michael extended her career at least one more game, posting her 31st career double-double with 18 points and 11 boards. Michael now needs just four points to become the only player in program history to twice reach the 500-point plateau in a single season.
Junior guard Erica Morrow scored 14 points, claimed nine rebounds, including five on the offensive end, and recorded six steals. Senior forward Juanita Ward also notched a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards.
Ward's jumper in the lane with 6:02 remaining handed Syracuse a one-point edge, 56-55, and a lead it would never relinquish.
The Orange is moving on in the postseason despite a 31-point effort from VCU senior forward D'Andra Moss. Moss shot 12-for-26 overall and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Moss scored 18 of her team's 39 points in the first half, leading the Rams to a two-point advantage at the intermission. The opening 20 minutes featured 15 lead changes, as the Orange shot 55.2 percent from the field overall against an even 50.0 percent clip from VCU.
Michael led the Syracuse offense in the first half with 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting. She also pulled down five rebounds and handed out two assists.
The Orange got a spirited effort from Alexander in the first period. The rookie logged 14 minutes off the bench and tallied eight points, also shooting 4-of-5 from the floor.
Morrow chipped in seven points (3-for-6) before the break, while Ward coupled four points with five boards and three assists. During one stretch in the first half, Ward had her hand in four consecutive SU baskets, twice finding Alexander and Morrow on the break, feeding Alexander down low and also knocking down a mid-range jumper.
The SU defense adjusted during the break and clamped down in the second half, limiting VCU to 20.7 percent shooting as a team. The Rams converted just six field goals in the final 20 minutes. Moss, sophomore forward Courtney Hurt (12 points) and senior guard Kita Waller (11) combined to score 54 of VCU's 59 points.
Syracuse (25-10) continues its run in the WNIT on the road against Big Ten opponent Michigan on Sunday, March 28. Game time versus the Wolverines is set for 2 p.m.
Courtesy: SU Athletics
