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Teisha Hyman received an outlet pass and streaked down the left side of the court minutes into Syracuse’s showdown with No. 7 Notre Dame last Sunday. Spotting a hole in the defense, Hyman switched lanes and drove, veering right to bank in an uncontested layup. 

In the second quarter, ND’s Kylee Watson went to work on Asia Strong in the post. Watson put up a right-handed layup which Strong immediately smothered. Strong then sprinted down the court, ahead of Watson, sparking a Syracuse fast break. Seconds later, she received the ball under the hoop and drew a shooting foul. 

Since first-year head coach Felisha Legette-Jack took control of Syracuse — a team that finished 11-18 last year — she’s ushered in a fast-paced, transition-powered offense, leading the Orange to a 13-5 start this season. Syracuse and its opponents average 76.6 possessions each per game, per Her Hoop stats, which ranks 23rd of 361 Division I teams.

In its season-opening win on Nov. 7 against Stony Brook, 25 of SU’s 79 points came off turnovers, while 19 came on the fast break. Despite coughing up the ball 18 times, it was clear that Syracuse had adopted a new brand of basketball. 

“They’re quick. They’re fast,” Legette-Jack said about her team postgame. “I like our speed but we’ve got a lot of room to get better and we will by March.” 

After defeating the Seawolves, the Orange embarked on a four-game winning streak, beating Colgate, Binghamton and Long Island, too. Throughout that stretch, Syracuse punished its opponents in the open floor, resulting in a combined 65 points off turnovers and 61 fast-break points. 

Against LIU, the Orange forced 27 turnovers from the Sharks. Syracuse found success in creating trap opportunities along the baseline and sidelines, giving LIU no space to operate. 

Early on, Alaina Rice stripped possession from LIU’s Emaia O’Brien before finding Dyaisha Fair all alone in the frontcourt. Many times this season, Fair has been quick to make the heads-up play, and did so again by sprinting out in front for the fast break. A quick lead pass gave Fair an uncontested path to the basket for two points. 

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Syracuse started the season 4-0 before losing to Penn State. The Orange held a lead at the start of the second half before a fourth quarter collapse. Syracuse only managed 9 fast-break points of its total of 69, its lowest in the first six games.

Two games later, SU suffered its second loss of the season against Purdue in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Orange tallied just eight points on the fast break —  a new season low — as they fell 87-78. 

Syracuse wrapped up non conference play with a win over UAlbany before starting the bulk of Atlantic Coast Conference play. Against the Great Danes, SU’s success in transition and limited turnovers drew the closest comparison to the production Legette-Jack alluded to after its first win. In an 87-64 victory, the Orange only turned the ball over eight times while forcing Albany into 22. Syracuse cashed in on 16 fast-break points and 29 points off turnovers while holding the Great Danes to zero and six, respectively. 

SU opened up league play with a win over Wake Forest before losses against Louisville and then-No. 6 NC State. But the Orange bounced back, stringing together three consecutive double-digit victories against Pittsburgh, Clemson and Boston College. During those games, Syracuse showcased more control playing fast-paced than it had in the early season.

Syracuse forced Pitt into 19 turnovers which translated into 27 points in an eventual 89-71 win. Two of those came halfway through the third quarter when Amber Brown lost possession driving into the lane. Fair picked up the loose ball and sprinted across the timeline, but was met by two defenders. 

Instead of muscling her way into the paint to force up a hasty shot — a common occurrence for the Orange  — Fair waited until Georgia Woolley provided reinforcement in the right corner. With numbers, Fair passed off to Woolley for a wide-open triple, which hit the bottom of the net to give SU its first lead of the second half. 

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Just two minutes into Syracuse’s matchup with Boston College, Dariauna Lewis switched places with Hyman and found herself at the top of the 2-3 zone. Tipping an intended pass from BC’s JoJo Lacey that fell to Fair, Lewis promptly raced out in front, beating Lacey down the floor. Lewis received the pass from Fair, drew the foul and the and-one opportunity after hitting from close-range. 

“Coach always preaches high hands on the ball either in a zone or man-to-man defense,” said SU forward Kyra Wood. “If we get lucky on the steal or the deflection then we can get out on the fast break.”

With 11 games remaining in the regular season, Syracuse’s transition-heavy style will only work if it continues to play exceptional defense. The Orange average 10.7 steals and force their opponents to commit 18.5 turnovers per game, ranking 23rd and 68th out of 361 Division-I programs, per Her Hoop Stats. 

Led by Fair’s average of 2.6 steals alongside 2.1 per game for both Woolley and Hyman, Syracuse has produced 192 total steals this season, good for 28th nationally. 

The Orange live and die by points in the open floor, but it came back to bite them against the Fighting Irish last time out with the fourth-quarter collapse. Over the season’s progression, Syracuse has developed into a more composed squad on the break, and SU will continue to see a large chunk of its offense come from transition scoring. 

“I’m thinking about how we are progressing,” Legette-Jack said. “The pace we’re trying to create, the defense we’re trying to make… I’m looking to balance that all out and then we know we’re going to be a better team in January.”

Published on January 17, 2023 at 11:57 pm

Contact Tyler: trschiff@syr.edu | @theTylerSchiff