Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

Outscoring then-No. 14 North Carolina by a 31-14 margin in the third quarter, Syracuse notched its first ranked win of the season in over a calendar year when they beat the Tar Heels at home a week ago. 

Three days later, the Orange played No. 10 Notre Dame, searching for their third straight win. However, even after a 17-5 run maintained a two-point lead for SU heading into the final quarter, ND’s inside presence commanded the paint, sinking Syracuse back to under .500 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. 

Tonight, against No. 24 Florida State, the Orange trailed by a considerable amount through most of the contest before a Dyaisha Fair 3 drew them within two points in the final quarter. However, Florida State dominated the paint and game-planned around stopping Fair to come out with the win, snapping a two-game losing streak of its own.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (16-11, 7-9 ACC) 78-65 loss to FSU (21-7, 10-5 ACC):

Tenacious Ta’Niya

As a freshman, Ta’Niya Latson leads the ACC in scoring. In 27 games this season, she averages 21.9 points per game to go along with three assists and almost two steals. Against Syracuse tonight, she finished with 19 points. 

Latson streaked down the left side of the court, finishing a double-clutch layup to extend FSU’s early lead to 8-2, forcing Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack to call timeout. Near the latter end of the first quarter, Latson extended her range to knock down an open, deep 3 at the top of the key.

To start the third quarter, Latson used a screen, slithering away from Nyah Wilson. She hesitated briefly, freezing the next immediate Syracuse defender before going up with the right hand to score a layup. Her make increased Florida State’s lead to nine with just over two minutes to play in the penultimate quarter 

In the opening minutes of the fourth, Latson ended up on the floor in the paint, guarded by Alaina Rice. She twirled around Rice and hit a layup inside for her 15th point of the night. 

After Fair placed Syracuse within two points of FSU, Latson’s number was called. First, Makayla Timpson scored down low, but on the next offensive possession, Latson drove before rising up to hit a long 2, increasing the Seminole lead to six with about three minutes remaining in the game. 

Hyman Plays Aggressive

Teisha Hyman went down with a lower-leg injury against Louisville three weeks ago and has never really been the same since. But, against North Carolina, glimpses of offensive brilliance shown through in her nine-point performance. 

Against No. 24 Florida State, Hyman didn’t get a lot to go in the early going, but, unfettered, she still attacked, showing confidence in her mid-range pull up and slashing ability. On one play, Hyman drove all the way to the rack, drawing an and-one opportunity after hitting a right-handed bank shot off the glass for two of her four first half points. 

To start the second half of play, Hyman started to play more controlled, making the right reads in the right situations. Receiving the ball at the top of the key, instead of keeping her head down on a straight-line drive, she stopped when FSU’s help defense converged on her. Seeing Georgia Woolley cut around her, Hyman handed the ball off to Woolley who navigated, untouched, to the hoop for a deuce. 

On back-to-back possessions soon after, Hyman backed down Jazmine Massengill in the post before she spotted Timpson straying away from Dariauna Lewis. With Lewis now unmarked, Hyman dished to her for the score. Then, instead of taking a difficult mid-range jumper after dropping her defender, Hyman passed out to Rice who pump-faked before hitting an uncontested shot from the left elbow. 

Controlling The Boards

At the halftime break, Florida State led 40-33. The Seminoles shot an impressive 48.5% from the field and an efficient 62.5% from range. FSU was shooting at a high clip, which might have some say in why Syracuse dominated the rebounding numbers tonight. 

Despite lacking in both personnel and height in the frontcourt, the Orange outrebounded FSU 26-16 after 20 minutes. If Lewis wasn’t inside fighting for possession, sometimes it would be Woolley or Hyman following their misses to ignite another crack at the basket. 

However, the main story was Rice’s game-high 12 rebounds in one half of play. On the defensive end, her job tousling down low and attempting to box out against Timpson and Massengill held the FSU bigs pairing to just seven combined boards. 

The second half was a far different story as the Seminoles gained ground in the third quarter, the rebound differential standing at 36-31 in favor of the Orange heading into the final 10 minutes of play. Early in the third, Rice corralled an offensive board off an SU miss before Fair grabbed a long rebound to grant Syracuse a third offensive possession. 

The final quarter was Timpson’s. After every Syracuse miss, she was there to snatch down each rebound, unwilling to let any escape her grasp. Along with Erin Howard, Timpson upped her rebounding total to a team-high 14 — part of a 17-point double-double. The Orange had relinquished a healthy rebounding deficit in the first half and ultimately paid the price. 

Dyaisha Watch

Fair jabbed at her defender on the left short corner before rising up for a jump shot. She canned it. On the other end, Mariana Valenzuela missed a three-pointer from the right corner and the ball was back in Fair’s hands. 

Putting together a dazzling slew of crossover moves, Fair lost her immediate defender behind a Lewis screen. Then, after stepping back, Fair drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to push Syracuse within two, 67-65. 

With a minute left to play, Fair chucked up a three near the right corner but was unable to hit. After starting the quarter off hot, Florida State made sure to hedge hard after she came off every screen. And the few times it didn’t, the Seminoles double-teamed Fair. 

The next trip down, Erin Howard hit a corner three as Lewis pushed over Sara Bejedi. The call on the floor was three points plus the ball in Florida State’s favor. Now, with under a minute remaining, FSU’s lead was now nine and the Orange were out of reach.

Published on February 16, 2023 at 8:10 pm

Contact Tyler: trschiff@syr.edu | @theTylerSchiff