Mangakahia dishes out 12 assists in rout of Pitt
Mangakahia dishes 12 assists in rout of Pitt
The Syracuse Women’s Basketball team took care of business at the Dome in a 90-63 blowout win against Pittsburgh Thursday night.
This is the second matchup between the No. 18 ranked Orange (20-6, 9-4) and Panthers (10-18, 1-13) this season. In their previous matchup, sophomore forward Digna Strautmane scored 22 points to help lead Syracuse to a convincing 82-50 win on Jan. 17.
The Orange wasted no time against the Panthers. In the first quarter, Syracuse orchestrated a 23-6 run. Syracuse carried that momentum to halftime leading 51-26.
Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman applauded his team’s ability to create fast break opportunities during the run.
“Our kids did a really good job playing aggressive and pushing the tempo,” Hillsman said.
With team-highs of 17 points and three blocks, Emily Engstler contributed on both ends of the court for the Orange. The freshman guard’s all-around performance impressed Hillsman.
“She’s starting to figure it out,” Hillsman said. “She’s playing really solid and real controlled out there.”
Another standout performance for Syracuse was Tiana Mangakahia. Mangakahia was the key ball distributor for the Orange, dishing out 12 assists with nine coming in the first half.
In the second half, Syracuse received an outstanding performance from its bench by outscoring Pittsburgh 57-15. Twelve different players scored for the Orange.
Syracuse also secured a season-high 57 rebounds, nearly doubling the Panthers on the boards. The win for Syracuse sets the stage for the highly anticipated matchup with No. 5 ranked Notre Dame.
Hillsman said his team is at full health and is up for the challenge against the Fighting Irish on Feb. 25.
“You’re going to give yourself a chance by being healthy,” Hillsman said. “We understand the task at hand, and we have a great opportunity in front of us.”
