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Dyaisha Fair controlled the game from the opening tip. With time expiring in the first quarter, Fair already had 11 of Syracuse’s 23 points.

Forward Alyssa Latham hauled in a missed jumper from CCSU’s Samora Watson and passed to Lexi McNabb. Fair sprinted to the other end and turned her back to the basket, searching for a pass. McNabb found Fair on the left wing, as she took a few dribbles standing deep beyond the arc. Then, Fair threw up a long 3 over Watson, hitting nothing but net and giving the Orange a 26-15 lead in to end the first frame.

Fair’s 14-point first quarter led to a game-high 28-point night on 10-for-17 shooting. Her potent offense led Syracuse (2-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) to a 101-53 win over Central Connecticut (0-2, 0-0 Northeast Conference) in its second game of the season. Friday was the first time SU scored 100 or more points since Dec. 5, 2021, a 116-65 victory that also came against CCSU. Fair took long-range shots early and often, converting a game-high five 3-pointers off nine attempts. She drove the lane with success to get easy layups and find teammates for close-range buckets.

In Syracuse’s 75-41 season-opening win over Lafayette, Fair had a strong day all-around, finishing with 17 points and game-highs in rebounds (11) and assists (six). At the same time, she didn’t have her cleanest day shooting. Fair went 6-for-14 from the field and just 3-for-8 inside the arc. Though on Friday evening, it was an entirely different story. Fair was the catalyst for the Orange’s triple-digit scoring night, accumulating her highest point total since dropping 36 on Jan. 26 in a win over Virginia.

“My staff does a good job of reminding me what I’m capable of doing and I’m ultimately trying to keep in mind what I’m able to do as well,” Fair said postgame.

While it cruised to a 48-point victory, Syracuse started slow again versus an inferior opponent. In its season-opener against Lafayette, SU began 1-for-10 from the field. It underwent shades of a poor start in the win over the Blue Devils, until Fair picked it back up.

The Orange began 1-for-4 from the floor and found themselves in an early 5-3 hole despite forcing three turnovers within the first three minutes. Then, SU went on a 9-0 run to force a CCSU timeout. Izabel Varejão got things going with an easy lay-in after working on Meghan Kenefick in the post. Then, Alaina Rice fed Sophie Burrows in transition for a wide-open mid-range jumper.

To end the run, Fair took over. Burrows intercepted a pass from the Blue Devils’ Belle Lanpher and instantly searched upcourt. She found Fair driving toward the hoop and sent her a long pass. Fair converted the ensuing breakaway layup.

On the following possession, Watson missed a 3 as Latham pulled in the board. She passed down court to Rice on the right wing, who swiftly worked it to Fair on the left wing for an open 3-pointer. Syracuse’s 12-5 lead forced Central Connecticut head coach Way Veney to call a timeout. It was the initial glimpse of Fair’s authoritative performance.

“Sometimes, it’s hard for great players. They don’t want to embarrass anybody,” said SU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack. “And she made them call the timeout and she’s pissed off coming off the court. So, I looked at her and said ‘Stay mad. Stay mad for the rest of the game.”

Taking Legette-Jack’s advice, Fair kept her foot on the gas pedal. Although, following a near-perfect first quarter showing, Fair cooled off to begin the second quarter. She missed a jumper at the eight-minute mark — her only attempt in the period’s first three-and-a-half minutes. But Central Connecticut couldn’t keep Fair quiet for much longer. Receiving a pass from McNabb, Fair drilled a 3-pointer to increase SU’s lead to 35-20.

A few minutes later, Fair was left uncovered on the right wing off of an inbound. She caught the feed from Latham, burying the ensuing 3-ball, which gave the Orange a 44-25 advantage toward the end of the second quarter.

Rice assisted Fair on an easy layup for her final bucket of the first half. Through 20 minutes of play, she was shooting 8-for-13 from the floor, 4-for-7 from 3-point range and tallied a team-high 22 points. Fair had zero assists through the first two quarters, as the Orange made her the absolute focal-point of the offense. Central Connecticut had no answer.

The dominance continued in the second half. To open the third quarter, Fair came off of a Varejão screen and drained a step-back 3-pointer for her fifth make of the evening.

A few minutes later, Fair aggressively pushed down court following a make from Central Connecticut’s Emma Bruen. The point guard dribbled with her left hand and barreled past Watson, getting inside the paint and nailing the layup through contact, which warranted a foul. Fair drilled the and-one free throw to complete the 3-point play, giving the Orange a 61-31 lead.

Fair was subbed out for Kennedi Perkins at the 6:18 mark of the third frame. Her absence from the court was small, yet apparent. Handling the ball at the top of the key, Perkins attempted a feed inside for Saniaa Wilson but was intercepted by Amaya Williams, who went coast-to-coast for the transition layup. Williams got past Perkins on CCSU’s next trip down court, burying a mid-range jumper.

When Fair exited for just two minutes during the third quarter, Syracuse and Central Connecticut each scored seven points in that stretch. Once Fair re-entered, though, the Orange finished the quarter on a 11-7 run, ending the third frame up 82-45.

And with 2:12 left in the quarter, Fair drove inside and drew a double team, leaving Latham wide open in the paint for an easy lay-in — Fair’s first assist of the night.

In the final quarter, Fair took a backseat with the Orange up by 40 at the time. After attempting zero shots in the first couple minutes, Fair was sent to the bench at the 7:37 mark for Perkins, and didn’t play for the remainder of the contest. It was the end of her 18th outing with 20 or more points in her 35 games in an SU uniform.

“It was just me trying to maintain my mentality,” Fair said of her performance. “Sometimes, it’s harder to do on other days. So, I picked today to have a good night.”

Published on November 10, 2023 at 9:17 pm

Contact Cooper at: ccandrew@syr.edu | @cooper_andrews