Observations from SU’s win over Cornell: 2-3 zone struggles, 3rd-quarter comeback
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After a 14-day hiatus from the JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse returned home Monday evening to take on Cornell, a program that hasn’t beaten the Orange since 2003. With Atlantic Coast Conference play beginning in 13 days, facing the Big Red provided a test for its second-to-last regular season nonconference bout.
For Cornell, Monday was its second matchup of the season versus a Power Five opponent. Its first try, an 83-40 blowout to then-No. 15 Ohio State on Nov. 26, appeared to serve as a preview for how the Ivy League school would fare against Syracuse.
Yet, the Big Red challenged the Orange. They led SU 37-29 at the halftime break — the first time Syracuse had trailed through 20 minutes this season.
SU’s shooting struggles and inability to thwart Summer Parker-Hall and Emily Pape caused it to trail by as much as 14 points during the third quarter. But the Orange clawed back to within five entering the fourth, before taking over. A five-point run by Dyaisha Fair followed by two clutch 3-pointers from Alaina Rice and Georgia Woolley completed the comeback over the Big Red.
Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (9-1, 0-0 ACC) 78-71 victory over Cornell (5-5, 0-0 Ivy League):
Woolley shines from 3
Across her first six games of 2023-24, Woolley has been the perfect second scoring option to Fair, averaging 14.5 points. Yet, she hasn’t been efficient from deep, shooting 14.7% on 3-pointers.
Woolley righted her long range woes from the start against Cornell. At the 8:03 mark of the first frame, Woolley held the ball at the top of the key. She searched to find open shooters but Fair and Rice were tightly guarded. So, Woolley fired away, sinking her shot to give Syracuse a 7-4 lead.
The guard gained confidence off her first make. Less than two minutes later, Woolley received a feed from Rice at the right wing and drilled another 3-pointer. Her early onslaught from long range propelled her to a team-high 11 points at halftime. Woolley accounted for two of SU’s three 3-point makes through 20 minutes.
Then, as Syracuse was down 50-38 midway into the third quarter, Woolley netted her third triple of the game to cut the Big Red’s lead down to single digits. The Australia native ended the evening with 23 points on 4-for-7 3-point shooting.
Cornell plays its brand of basketball
Heading into Monday, the Big Red were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the nation. Through their first nine outings, they accumulated 26 made 3s, which was the 14th-lowest total in Division I. They don’t shoot for accuracy, either, entering the Dome at a 24.3% clip from long range — 31st-worst in the country.
In the first half versus Syracuse, Cornell played its brand of basketball. The Big Red didn’t settle for outside shots, staying persistent in driving the lane and taking mid-range jumpers. They also played a 2-3 zone, forcing SU’s offense to take contested shots and struggle to find space.
The game plan resulted in a surprise 15-14 lead through the opening 10 minutes, an advantage that grew to 37-29 at the half. Syracuse shot just 33.3% from the field, while Cornell shot 50%.
The Big Red’s lead ballooned up to 50-36 at one point during the third quarter, as the Orange continued to struggle against Cornell’s zone. Overall, the Big Red held SU to a 40% clip from the field, while they shot 50% from inside the arc in a valiant effort against a Power Five foe.
No answer for Parker-Hall, Pape
Syracuse’s scoring distribution has helped it become one of the top offenses in the country. Averaging the 22nd-most points per game prior to Monday (81.0), SU boasted four scorers who were putting up 10.8 points or more each contest. Cornell’s top scorer, though, Kaya Ingram, averages 10.7.
But Monday evening, the Big Red received elite offensive production from forwards Parker-Hall and Pape, while Syracuse’s big names were quiet.
Parker-Hall and Pape combined for 27 points through the opening half, nearly outscoring Syracuse as a team. Alyssa Latham and Kyra Wood primarily matched up with Parker-Hall, yet they were handled inside by the Cornell forward. Parker-Hall shot a 5-for-13 from the floor for 18 points, making a bigger impact getting to the free throw line canning 8-of-10 attempts overall.
Meanwhile, Pape couldn’t miss. Through the first half, she led the game in scoring with 16 points on 8-for-9 shooting. Pape got a litany of open mid-range looks, spurred by the Big Red’s crisp ball movement, and converted her chances. She finished with a game-best 27 points on 13-for-17 shooting.
Late 3rd-quarter run sparks a comeback
During a commercial timeout with 4:47 left in the third quarter, Cornell seemingly had the game in its grasp. Up by 14 at that point, the Big Red were outplaying the Orange in almost every facet of the game. SU needed a spark to generate a large comeback — something it hasn’t had to do all season.
A layup by Kennedi Perkins and 3 from Woolley completed a quick, five-point spurt. The Orange started to play faster and found more spaces on offense. It closed the quarter on a 13-4 run after Latham sank two straight late buckets in the paint.
The run in the third quarter sparked SU’s eventual comeback. In the fourth quarter, Syracuse kept things close with Cornell for most of it, slowly crawling back to within a one-possession deficit after Rice hit a free throw with 4:19 left. From there, it was the Fair show.
To that point the point guard was having a quiet game with just 12 points. But Fair went on a personal five-point run to pump life into the JMA Wireless Dome. She drew a foul after driving the lane and knocked down the ensuing two free throws. Then, Fair splashed a deep 3-pointer from the right wing, giving SU its first lead since the opening quarter.
Cornell’s Clarke Jackson responded to Fair’s hot stretch, drilling a mid-range jumper to put Cornell back in the lead at 67-66. Though Syracuse got the last laugh, as two straight clutch 3-pointers from Rice and Woolley gave the Orange a lead that this time, they wouldn’t relinquish.
