WBB SU 68 vs Pitt 60 1/22/15 7:00 @Pitt

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http://cuse.com/news/2015/1/22/WBB_0122153814.aspx

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 1/22/2015 9:36:00 PM
#23/22 Syracuse Holds off RV/- Pittsburgh
Scores fourth straight victory

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1/25/2015 - 3 p.m.
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PITTSBURGH – The No. 23/22 Syracuse University women's basketball team held off RV/- Pittsburgh to earn a 68-60 victory on the road at the Petersen Events Center on Thursday night. It marked the team's fourth straight victory, matching its longest winning streak of the 2014-15 season.
Syracuse (14-5, 4-2) led for the entire first half of play, but Pittsburgh (12-6, 2-3) rallied back in the second frame and eventually was able overtake the Orange, leading with as little as 11:48 remaining in regulation. Syracuse fought back and held off numerous attempts from the host Panthers, scoring an eight-point win and its fourth victory in Atlantic Coast Conference competition.

Junior guard Brianna Butler and sophomore guard Alexis Peterson each tallied 14 points to pace the Orange on Thursday night. Junior guard Cornelia Fondren and sophomore center Briana Day each tallied double-doubles against Pittsburgh. It marked the third time this year that the duo each recorded a double-double in a single game.

Butler was red hot in the opening minutes at the Petersen Events Center. The junior guard was 3-of-4, including a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the 3-point line, en route to eight points in the first 6:04 of play. Fueled by Butler, Syracuse jumped out to a 15-8 lead.
Pittsburgh came back and got the Orange's advantage down to one point on three different occasions in the first half. Every time Syracuse responded and never trailed in the opening 20 minutes. The latest run came after the Panthers cut it to a one-point deficit with 3:14 to go. Senior guard Diamond Henderson scored four points on a 6-0 run for the Orange, putting the visitors up seven with 42 seconds remaining in the first half.

Pitt sophomore guard Fred Potvin knocked down a 3-point field goal with 30 seconds left in the opening frame to make it a 30-26 game headed into the locker room. Butler had a team-best eight points in the half, while junior guard Cornelia Fondren tacked on seven points.

After the Orange scored the first two buckets of the second half, Pittsburgh came right back. The Panthers were able to overtake Syracuse for the first time in the game, 38-37, at the 13:39 mark after a lay-up from freshman guard Aysia Bugg.

It remained a back-and-forth affair for the remainder of regulation. Overall, the lead changed eight different times in the final 13:39 of action. Pittsburgh made its final run with 3:31 left, making it a two-point contest. The Orange scored the final six points of the game, knocking down four free throws en route to 34th victory against the Panthers, all-time.
The Syracuse women's basketball team returns to the Carrier Dome on Sunday afternoon with a matchup against ACC-foe North Carolina State. Tipoff is slated for 3 p.m. and the game will be televised on RSN/FOX. In addition, Team Day and the 'Cuse Carnival is scheduled for Sunday's contest against the Wolfpack.

 

[CuseLegacy]

Josh Hyber ‏@JoshHyber 50s51 seconds ago
Final: No. 23 Syracuse WBB 68, Pittsburgh 60. Alexis Peterson and Brianna Butler both finish with 14 points.

 

[CuseLegacy]

http://cuse.com/news/2015/1/23/WBB_0123152158.aspx

PITTSBURGH – Junior Cornelia Fondren of the No. 23/22 Syracuse University women's basketball team is certainly not your typical 5-foot-8 guard. Not often does a guard account for more than 14 percent of a squad's total rebounding, but that is the type of player Fondren is.
In her third season as a member of the Orange, Fondren has shown that she will do anything for the betterment of the team. After starting all but one game at point guard as a true freshman, she came off the bench every contest last year. In 2014-15, Syracuse has employed a three-guard, and sometimes four-guard, lineup, where she is asked to perform more as a forward.

The Memphis, Tenn. native has thrived in that role. Currently, she ranks second on the team in rebounding, averaging 6.2 boards per game. Even more impressive is her offensive rebounding, where she averages 3.16 offensive rebounds per contest. On Thursday night at RV/- Pittsburgh, Fondren came up with some big plays down the stretch, including a clutch offensive board.

With Syracuse clinging to a four-point lead with one minute remaining, sophomore guard Alexis Peterson was shooting two free throws. Peterson made the first, but missed the second. Fondren came in soaring, grabbing the board, and keeping the host Panthers from getting closer in an eight-point victory.

"Cornelia played well," head coach Quentin Hillsman said after the game. "I have to give her a lot of credit. I thought she did an awesome job of competing."
In all, Fondren recorded her third double-double of her collegiate career at Pittsburgh. She tallied 13 points, one shy of her career-best, and 10 rebounds, also one less than her personal-high. The junior guard and sophomore center Briana Day each tallied double-doubles for third time in 2014-15.

"That's all you can ask for," added Hillsman. "When you are grinding like that and you win that game, I give them a lot of credit."

The glass is not the only place where Fondren contributes. She ranks second on the team in assists and steals, averaging 2.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game for the Orange. In addition, her 7.2 points per game average is the fifth-best average on the team.

When it comes down to, Fondren is proving she is one of the many players on this team who will do anything for Syracuse succeed in 2014-15. It has proven work out fairly well so far, as the squad won its fourth straight game with its victory at Pittsburgh and has been ranked in the top 25 of both major national polls in every ranking release this year.

Fondren and the Syracuse women's basketball team returns home on Sunday afternoon when they host North Carolina State at 3 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. The game will be televised on RSN/FOX. In addition, Sunday's contest is Team Day and the 'Cuse Carnival.