SU women’s basketball dominates in Upstate rivalry game against Colgate

Colgate kept Syracuse on their toes in the first half, but a solid second half allowed the Orange to dominate. Syracuse women’s basketball came out of the Upstate rivalry game, beating the Raiders 72-48.

Syracuse lived up to the hype song “New Level” played during their starting lineup announcement going into the game. The Orange brought high energy and the hunger to pick up their second consecutive win.

After forward Dariauna Lewis snatched the ball in the opening tip-off, guard Teisha Hyman continued with the momentum, putting Syracuse on the board first with a field goal.

Syracuse maintained the lead through the first half, dominating in almost every statistical category, with the Orange shooting 46.7% in field goals. Guard Dyaisha Fair led the Syracuse squad with seven points in the half.

Personal fouls were costly for Colgate, tallying four in both the first and second quarters. A string of foul shots was made in the first quarter, with Lewis then forward Asia Strong and guard Alaina Rice knocking down shots, totaling five points for the Orange.

Rice recorded many season highs with 16 points, including two three-pointers, three assists, and one block.

“I just went out there and played my game,” Rice said. “Taking the shots I know I can make…made me the better player I was today and it clearly showed.”

Hot off the bench, Syracuse forward Saniaa Wilson came in and scored a layup with 2:39 remaining in the half. Wilson also helped out on the defensive end with two defensive rebounds and three blocks.

With less than 90 seconds left in the first half, Hyman got the ball in her hands after it was tossed around the court. She ran up to the hoop, stepped back, and shot a two-point jumper.

Hyman didn’t score as much as she did against Stony Brook, but nonetheless, she helped the team in other ways. She grabbed six defensive rebounds, picked up two blocks, and led the team in assists with seven.