Opponent Preview: What to know about Wagner in its 3rd-ever matchup with SU

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Syracuse bounced back from its second defeat of the season to Purdue in thrilling fashion — a two-point victory over Yale on Dec. 4. Four days later, the Orange defeated Coppin State at home to notch two consecutive wins — the first win streak since starting the season off 5-0. 

Against CSU, SU struggled early, falling behind 12-4 in the opening four minutes. The Orange ended the quarter down four, 27-24. It wouldn’t be until 4:16 remaining in the second that Syracuse grasped their first lead, courtesy of a 3 from Dyaisha Fair. 

From then on, spurred by frontcourt members Dariauna Lewis and Saniaa Wilson saw Syracuse head into the break up six. The Orange didn’t look back. Fair ended the contest with a season-high 27 points and Teisha Hyman added 20 in what would end up being a dominant 93-75 win. 

Wagner is coming off of a narrow 64-58 loss to New Hampshire. The loss moved the Seahawks back to 0.500 on the season as they gear up to enter the JMA Wireless Dome on Sunday. 

Here’s everything you need to know about Wagner (4-4, 0-0 Northeastern): 

All-time series:

Syracuse leads 2-0 

Last time they played:

The Orange and the Seahawks have only ever matched up in Syracuse. The last time the two teams met, SU enjoyed a convincing 66-28 win over Wagner on Dec. 4, 2012. 

Led by a 34-point outpour from Kayla Alexander, who was later drafted with the eighth pick of the 2013 WNBA Draft, Syracuse held Wagner to 19.3% shooting from the field. The Seahawks did not lead after going in front 9-5 in the first half. 

Jacqui Thompson led Wagner offensively, totaling 12 points. However, besides Alexander, the Orange failed to produce another player to finish in double-digit scoring. 

SU won the game by outclassing the Seahawks in the paint. Syracuse produced 38 of their points (57.5%) in the paint while holding Wagner to just eight. 

The Seahawks report:

Wagner started the season with a comfortable 97-34 win over Humber and a gritty three-point victory against Manhattan. Since then, the Seahawks have been inconsistent, only able to replicate a two-game winning streak once more throughout eight games. 

Equipped with a rather undersized roster, there are only three players who stand above six feet for the Seahawks — Brittney-Shania Etuka, Julia Fabozzi, and Malia Mpondo, but that disadvantage doesn’t stop Wagner from scoring the majority of their points, 55.9% per HerHoopStats, in the paint. 

Statistically, the Seahawks fall near the end of the Division I rankings in almost every category except assists per game. Averaging a 14.5 total this season, Wagner produces more points off of assists than Syracuse does. The Orange manage just 13.8. 

Continuing on the offensive side, Wagner boasts two players, as a part of a frontcourt, backcourt partnership, who average double-digit scoring — Alex Cowan and Kem Nwabudu. Nwabudu operates primarily down low while Cowan averages 4.5 attempts from three each game per HerHoopSports. 

How Syracuse beats Wagner:

Syracuse beats Wagner just like they’ve beat every team this season — by letting Fair operate freely on both ends of the court. Although head coach Felisha Legette-Jack has emphasized that SU isn’t a ‘one-man squad,’ success undoubtedly stems from how Fair performs. 

If she can get going early through aggressive drives inside, making shots behind the arc, or just getting her teammates involved, Syracuse will run away with this game. Yet, if Fair struggles early, the Orange have found a reliable offensive contributor in Hyman. After tallying a season-high 26 points against Purdue, Hyman has put up 28 over the last two SU contests. 

Wagner won’t be able to handle Syracuse’s size. Expect SU to target Lewis down low in hopes of getting her going early. Asia Strong, who’s coming off of a 16-point performance against Coppin State, will also be utilized for her unique ability to score both inside and out. 

Stat to know: 23.6%

Against Yale, Syracuse entered the half down 37-25 and ended up winning. A lot of that was Fair’s 17 points and Lewis’ 16, but an even more essential aspect of that victory was SU’s ability to get to the line. In that contest, the Orange attempted 30 free throws to just four put up by the Bulldogs. 

Wagner ranks 306th out of 361 Division I teams with a foul rate of only 23.6%. Essentially, this means that the Seahawks barely get to the free-throw line to tack on points. Contextually, the glaring differential between the two teams in their abilities to get points on the board without a running clock is something to watch out for. 

Player to watch: Alex Cowan, guard, No. 0

Leading this Wagner team in points, averaging 12.9 per game, Cowan is an offensive-minded point guard who is second on the Seahawks in 3-pointers attempted. She also averages a whopping 89.5% from the charity stripe, despite Wagner’s inability to get there in the first place. Look for the Seahawks to run their offense through Cowan and expect her to shoot her way out of a slow start with no hesitation whatsoever.