Syracuse dominates Clemson, 86-46, for first ACC win
Syracuse women's hoops blows out Clemson by 40 points
The Syracuse women’s basketball team dominated Clemson Saturday evening with a score of 86-46. Four starters tallied at least 13 points in a game where the Orange led by as many as 42 points midway through the fourth quarter.
Syracuse out-hustled Clemson from the opening tip, grabbing nearly three times as many loose balls and rebounds during the first half. Backcourt duo Chrislyn Carr and Najé Murray combined for 36 points on 29 shots, their largest combined total in conference play this season.
SU's Alaysia Styles (4) winds up for a pass over the Clemson defense following a rebound on Saturday night.
Najé Murray (10) winks at the Clemson bench after hitting a 3-pointer in the second half.
Syracuse opened with a strong showing during the first half, closing on an extended 24-7 run and building the lead to 40-27 at the break. The Orange received scoring contributions from all five starters, hitting three 3’s and six fastbreak points during a decisive second-quarter run. Murray nailed 3’s in two consecutive possessions, giving the Orange the lead with five minutes to play in the half.
Coincidentally, the Orange won the deflections battle and made each possession more difficult on Clemson. The Orange forced a Clemson season-high 15 turnovers for any half as the team began gang rebounding and playing unselfishly.
The 40-27 lead that the Orange built at the half grew during the second half. SU owned a 78-36 edge with five minutes to go in the fourth, just a minute before acting head coach Vonn Read pulled the starters.
With the win, the Orange improved to 7-4 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. Now, the Orange have two straight home dates with non-conference opponents before traveling to North Carolina on the last Thursday of the month.
