After having a 10-point halftime lead, the Syracuse Orange women’s basketball team fell this week to the 20th-ranked NC State Wolfpack, 74-66 . The Orange looked unstoppable in the first half but the Wolfpack unfortunately showed why they’re ranked as the second half went on until the end.
Team leader Georgia Woolley returned after being ill during the loss Sunday to Boston College and along with Sophie Burrows and Kyra Wood, had me believing an upset was possible. Sophie led the way with 16 points and after missing a shot or two, looked like she couldn’t miss for a bit. NC State did struggle to score in that first half but the Orange rebounded well, played good defense and took advantage of it.
But then as the second half went on, the Wolfpack led by Zoe Brooks, who finished with 19 points, and Madison Hayes (who added 18) just proved to be the better team on this night, finishing the game on an 11-point run.
At one point, there was also a questionable technical foul called on Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack late in the game. Based on my opinion, I don’t know if she said a magic word they didn’t like or what but I feel it could have been handled with a warning and moved on, especially that late in the game.
She clearly saw something she had an issue with, and Coach Jack isn’t one to throw tantrums or anything. I know the job of officiating is difficult at times, but I also think there should be a give-and-take when a coach sees an issue, and officials work with them to explain what they saw or can review to see if there is something going on.
Syracuse women's basketball came so close to upsetting a ranked opponent this week.
Listen, I get it, it’s about winning and I understand that and I assure you nobody knows that more than the team themselves. But what I saw the other night, up until that last Wolfpack run, was a performance that made me believe they could beat anyone.
They shot well. They rebounded well. They took advantage of turnovers. They did everything just as Coach Jack has been asking them to do. But sadly they just couldn’t keep up the pace for the entire game.
I love this team and I love this staff. I know Dyaisha Fair was a huge part of the success of this team the last two years but there is still talent, heart and fight in this team. I will tell you this, if that team that played so well for 3/4th of this game figures out how to do it for all 4 quarters, there isn’t a team in the ACC this team can’t beat.
Yes, I’m an Orange homer but you don’t control a team as talented as NC State for that long if you’re not talented and playing your butts off. I commend them for a good fight and I hope you see that fight and can bring it again more often this season and pull off some big wins.
Up next, the Orange will face two 11-9, middle-of-the-ACC pack teams. They start with playing at Clemson on Sunday at 2 pm, which sadly is only available streaming online or locally on ESPN Syracuse sports talk radio or on the Varsity app. Then the Orange return home to the JMA Wireless Dome next Sunday against Virginia, which is slated for a noon start on the ACC Network.
🗣️ @CuseCoachJack in last night's postgame press conference pic.twitter.com/QtUdDdv6lJ
— Syracuse Women's Basketball (@CuseWBB) January 24, 2025
I will leave you with a quote from Coach Jack herself in the post-game press conference: “In that locker room I was just in, they’re all still in. They’re all still fighting for Syracuse University, for women’s basketball here, and the right for people to see that they are still fighters. And I’m so proud of them.”