Woolley and Burrows lead SU past Wake Forest in a gritty comeback

Familiar faces once again helped propel Syracuse women’s basketball to victory.

With the backcourt tandem of senior Georgia Wolley and sophomore Sophie Burrows, Syracuse defeated Wake Forest 62-50 Sunday – though the contest was closer than the final score suggests. 

The Orange didn’t lead until the final quarter, with the Demon Deacons forcing their way inside and easily scoring for much of the contest.

“[We were] standing behind them and letting them catch it,” Head Coach Felisha Legette-Jack said. 

Wake Forest scored 36 points in the paint, using physicality to get open looks.

Less than a minute into the contest, Wake Forest’s Demeara Hinds got inside to put the Demon Deacons up. Seconds later, Woolley hit a running hook to tie the game before scoring again on the Orange’s next possession.

The teams entered the first break of action tied at nine – though the deadlock wouldn’t last long. Wake Forest went on an 8-0 run, capitalizing off of poor shots and turnovers from Syracuse.

A nifty pass from Woolley to senior forward Kyra Wood stopped the bleeding, and the Orange ended the first quarter down 11-17. 

Wake Forest continued to build its lead to begin the second quarter. Back-to-back 3-pointers from WF’s Raegyn Conley pushed the lead to 12, forcing Legette-Jack to call a timeout. 

The final minutes of the half marked the arrival of Burrows, who was coming off a career-high 28-point performance against Virginia Tech in her last outing. Her first three-pointer of the game set the stage for the half’s most electrifying moment.

A pass inside from Woolley was batted away by Wake Forest – only for it to bounce into the path of the incoming Burrows. The sophomore converted the open basket and a previously dormant Dome crowd erupted.

SU looked ready to close out the half on a 9-0 run, but Rylie Theuerkauf’s buzzer-beating fadeaway allowed Wake Forest to take a 31-26 lead into the break.

The second half started much like the first, with Hinds scoring an easy inside basket to open play. However, the next nine minutes were marked by sluggish possessions, turnovers, and missed opportunities from both teams

With under a minute left in the quarter, Burrows tied the game for the first time since the opening media timeout—but the moment was short-lived. A scramble near Wake Forest’s basket led to a fast-break layup for Syracuse, putting the Orange down by two heading into the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter began unceremoniously, just like the three before it. With 7:30 left, Wood converted a tough and-1 to give SU the lead for the first time.

A huge 3-pointer from Woolley followed, shifting momentum in the Orange’s favor.

“It’s just kind of that energy shot,” Woolley said. “It went down and gave me some good energy – it felt nice for it to drop.”

The three-pointer fueled an 11-0 Syracuse run, as the Orange capitalized on Wake Forest’s seven fourth-quarter turnovers. In the final moments, Syracuse sealed the game at the free-throw line, clinching its fourth ACC victory.

The victory gives Syracuse a fighting chance to make an ACC tournament bid. After the game, Legette-Jack noted the team’s improvement since the start of the season.

“We’re getting better and coming,” the coach said. 

Next, Syracuse travels west to face Stanford on Thursday. Tip-off is set for 10 pm.