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When Emily Engstler hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Syracuse up six in the fourth quarter, the Orange started to pull away. She sank one from the left corner, and then stepped back beyond the arc on the same side for the second. 

In a game where Syracuse’s turnovers and missed shots prevented it from pulling away early, the Orange did enough down the stretch to secure a win — and revenge. 

Two years ago, Syracuse was bounced from the NCAA Tournament by the lower seeded Jackrabbits in the second round. The Orange led early in that matchup, but South Dakota State ended the game on a 16-2 run, shocking SU in the Carrier Dome. Tiana Mangakahia scored 18 points, and said Monday after the Selection Show that seeing SDSU’s name provided extra motivation.

Sunday evening, the Orange got redemption. Here are three takeaways from No. 8-seed Syracuse’s (15-8, 9-7 Atlantic Coast) 72-55 win over No. 9-seed South Dakota State (21-4, 14-0 Summit), which pushed the Orange into the Round of 32.

Quick start

Syracuse started with a spark, jumping out to an 8-0 lead as South Dakota State went 0-of-5 from the floor. Slow starts have plagued the Orange all year — they’re a primary reason ESPN Bracketologist Charlie Creme said SU’s seeding was No. 8, as opposed to higher. But on Sunday evening, the Orange looked ready to play from the opening tipoff. 

They strung passes together inside and out, connecting with Kamilla Cardoso in the paint, kicking passes beyond the arc when the freshman center was swarmed with defenders, and sank open 3-pointers. 

SU forced turnovers and took well-selected, quick shots to take control early. Mangakahia sank a 3-pointer after Digna Strautmane was swarmed in the paint and kicked a pass out, and Kiara Lewis hit a jumper at the free throw line later in the quarter. The game was still close for three quarters, but they forced South Dakota State into a five-minute scoreless period in the final frame, closing out a 17-point victory.

End-to-end play

Against the Jackrabbits, Syracuse continuously played with a fast tempo. In the third quarter, Syracuse grabbed a board, up four, and then Mangakahia dribbled up-court. She picked her head up, saw Engstler cutting to the bucket, and fired a sharp pass across the court. Engstler’s layup effort hit the underside of the board as she was fouled, but Syracuse continuously attacked the Jackrabbits before they could get set on defense. 

After turnovers or steals, the Orange charged down to the other end of the floor via Mangakahia’s quick passes. Cardoso ran down the floor and missed a layup, but SU turned over the Jackrabbits within seconds through an Engstler steal.

Even in the final minute of play, when SU held a commanding 18-point lead, Mangakahia dribbled in place for over 10 seconds before suddenly pulling up for a 3-pointer. It was Syracuse’s explosiveness that caught the Jackrabbits defense off guard — though Mangakahia didn’t connect, Strautmane gathered the rebound and layed the ball in. 

Battle in the paint

SDSU entered this game aware that the 6-foot-7 Cardoso — tied for the second-tallest player in this year’s NCAA Tournament — would be crucial during this matchup. Strautmane looked to find the freshman center in the paint to open the second half, but her pass was obvious. SDSU’s Paiton Burckhard entered into the passing lane, and went coast-to-coast to pull the Jackrabbits within six. Minutes later, Cardoso missed an easy layup after a post move and then Burckhard converted on the other end to make it a three-point game.

After starting strong in other aspects of the game, Syracuse began forcing the ball to Cardoso. SDSU’s halftime adjustments allowed the Jackrabbits to stop the bleeding, forcing Syracuse’s offense to be more one-dimensional. The Orange began the game by driving inside or finding Cardoso inside, and then kicking out and connecting on 3-pointers. SU won the battle in the paint during the first half, and after a brief period where SDSU took over in the third frame, the Orange regained control late. 

By the third quarter, Syracuse was 6-of-18 on layups and held only a three-point lead despite forcing 15 turnovers. Lewis received a long pass in the final minutes of the third quarter and wide-open, she missed a layup off the rim. The Orange’s failure to convert traditionally straightforward chances made this game a lot closer than it needed to be. 

When Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi received a pass in the paint in the post, she was immediately swarmed by three defenders. She tried to find the kickout pass, but she got smothered and turned the ball over. 

But in the final five minutes, Syracuse held onto its nine point lead by halting the Jackrabbits progress in the paint. Cardoso stopped Kallie Theisen as she drove in the paint and hit the underside of the bucket. She sat in the paint and rejected Tylee Irwin minutes later. She finished with six of the Orange’s 14 blocks, and ultimately, Syracuse prevailed.

Published on March 21, 2021 at 7:59 pm

Contact Roshan: rferna04@syr.edu | @Roshan_f16