Orange complete another comeback in win over Seminoles

Never count them out. 

Syracuse women’s basketball completed their second comeback win in a row after beating No. 15 Florida State 79-73 at the JMA Wireless Dome on Thursday night.

Graduate guard Dyaisha Fair led the Orange in a game where every player was needed to secure the win, and they came through.

Here are three takeaways from Syracuse’s signature win.  

40-minute team

For the second game in a row, Syracuse looked like the lesser team for a half, and then turned it up in the second. 

Some heroics from Fair kept SU in the game during the first half, but the team struggled to keep up with the Florida State offense, transition play and rebounding. A 12-point run to start the second quarter gave the Seminoles a double-digit lead that they managed to keep into the break, and yet another run to start the third saw Florida State build up an 18-point lead. 

This is when the team raised their level.

Sophomore guard Kennedi Perkins hit a layup around halfway through the third, followed by a three-point play from junior forward Saniaa Wilson. Baskets from these two, as well as freshman forward Alyssa Latham, reduced the lead to single-digits before the end of the quarter. 

A 13-point run between the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth would eventually see Syracuse take the lead. 

Despite falling big early in the game, the team said postgame they try to see each game through the 40 minutes, and not just what is happening at the moment. This mentality allows them to continue playing and showing effort where others would not. 

SU finished the game on a 43-19 run.

Welcome to the (Thunder)Dome

The 2,500 supporters who showed up to witness yet another comeback may pale in comparison to the numbers commonly seen in the men’s games, but the SU fans let themselves be felt. 

As the Orange clawed their way back to tie and eventually take the lead, the crowd continued to lift the players up. Syracuse supporters understood their importance by the time the third quarter ended, and they incrementally increased the volume of their cheers as the win became more and more possible. 

The Dome was louder than it has been all season for the women’s basketball team, and it impacted both Syracuse and Florida State. 

“It’s home. You don’t want anyone to come in here and take what belongs to you, in your house. That’s the way we look at it and that’s why we say, ‘Protect the Dome, protect the home,’’” Fair said. 

Through 17 games, the Orange are a perfect 11-0 at home. 

Fair watch 

Fair had a night she will likely not soon forget.  

Fair went for 31 points and a program record-breaking 9 three-pointers in 40 minutes. Her output last night was also good to get her 12th all time in D1 women’s basketball career points, jumping over stars like Maya Moore.  

Fair is now just 23 points away from surpassing Elena Delle Donne and Ashley Joens to join the top 10. 

Then there’s the quality of her shots.

Syracuse found itself down for most of the game. In the first quarter, Florida State built up a six point lead that Fair eliminated almost by herself with three straight three-point shots. Her steady shooting from behind the arc kept the team in the game through the second quarter, and she gave SU the lead in the fourth quarter with yet another shot from deep: a bomb from near half-court. 

Between her play in the clutch and overarching career highlights, the graduate guard’s legendary run with Syracuse continues to leave spectators with much to talk about. 

Fair will look to add yet another career milestone on Sunday, when the Orange travel to face Pitt, where she will try to crack the all-time scoring top 10. Tip-off is at 2 p.m.