Clemson opened the game with a 15-foot miss from the elbow.

Off the miss, Tiana Mangakahia flew down the court and drove to the basket, making the layup through contact and drawing the foul. She converted the and-1 opportunity. Syracuse never looked back.

“We were hoping we would start fast,” SU head coach Quentin Hillsman said.

Syracuse (16-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast)  dominated Clemson (11-10, 1-7), 86-51, on Thursday night in the Carrier Dome, moving to 11-0 on its home floor this season. Syracuse proved more efficient than Clemson as both teams had 36 first-half possessions, but SU parlayed its chances into 14 more points. The Orange shot 51.5 percent from the field in the contest, had four players reach double-digits and never trailed in the entire game. Players and Hillsman hope the shellacking translates into momentum in conference play, especially on the road.

“I think it’s good for the team, everyone contributing,” Mangakahia said. “Even the things that aren’t in the stats, defensively. All of that has a big impact on our next game.”

After Clemson’s brick on its first possession, Syracuse rapidly moved the needle in its favor, going up 14-2 just more than four minutes into the game.

Fueling the run were relentless transition pushes led by Mangakahia  — the Orange was able to run out due to Clemson opening the game ice cold, going 1-for-11 in the first 4:31 — and turnovers. The Tigers finished with 21 giveaways.

“I don’t know if we had a lot of turnovers in our press,” Hillsman said. “We had a lot of turnovers in the halfcourt.”

Gabrielle Cooper started hot from outside, canning three of her first four 3-point attempts, mostly getting open looks from drive-and-kick plays. One such play came as Mangakahia drove under the hoop but got cut off. Her pass to Digna Strautmane got partially deflected, but the Latvian freshman scooped up the ball heading to the rim and flipped the ball to a wide-open Cooper on the right wing. Cooper drained it.

“She’s done a good job,” Hillsman said of the sophomore shooting guard, “and she’s trying to lead our team … She’s doing well and she’s stepping up at this point.”

At the end of the first quarter, Syracuse led 26-16 and the easy offense flowed into the second stanza.

Freshmen bigs Amaya Finklea-Guity and Strautmane found success backing down smaller Clemson forwards and hitting easy four-foot turnarounds.

“If we could even come out and play just as well as our perimeter players,” Finklea-Guity said, “I think it will overall just be a great game.”

They were afforded one-on-one chances because Clemson’s guards had pushed out to hold rank at the 3-point line, but even that didn’t stop SU’s guards, even the ones who don’t eat up a majority of minutes like Mangakahia, from exploiting the Tigers’ defense.

With fewer than five minutes until halftime, Chelayne Bailey drove from the right wing, hit a spin move mid-drive and scooped in a layup. As Bailey twisted in the lane, the Orange bench rose and Dez Elmore walked a ways out on the baseline, finally fist pumping when Bailey’s shot fell.

A little later, Jasmine Nwajei had the ball at the top of the key with six seconds on the shot clock and two defenders in front of her. It seemed SU would be jacking up a bad look, but Nwajei blew past both defenders for an easy two points at the rim.

“Reading the defense,” Mangakahia said of how SU exploited the Clemson defense. “Whatever they’re in, we have to do the opposite instead of (playing) into their hands.”

At halftime, the Orange led by 14, and the only reason it was that close was Clemson’s Kobi Thornton, who had 14 of her own at the half.

“She’s a triple-threat for them,” Hillsman said. “She’s a handful and did a very good job against us.”

Thornton alone was never enough, though, especially when Syracuse opened the second half with an 18-2 run. The Tigers were buried, and the Orange played its game to near perfection.

Clemson’s last breath came following the run in the third quarter, scoring four in a row off a made basket and a free possession on foul on the floor. If the Tigers were going to do anything, it was time.

But Syracuse inbounded to Mangakahia, who sprinted up the court, drew contact and got the bucket to fall. Elmore stood up and pointed her finger at the floor, signaling the basket was good and mimicking the ref’s call in celebration.

Syracuse was up 28, Mangakahia made the free throw and the rout was on.

Published on January 25, 2018 at 9:11 pm

Contact Andrew: aegraham@syr.edu | @A_E_Graham