Rachel Coffey dribbled the ball across half court with a full head of steam. Flanked to her left was Brianna Butler. Flanked to her right was Brittney Sykes.

Both players were open.

But when Coffey looked to Sykes, Sykes pointed to Butler as if to say, “Let her score.”

On Monday night in the Carrier Dome, Syracuse (3-0) routed Cornell (2-1) 89-48. While the sophomore Sykes led SU with a game-high 23 points, she made her presence felt through more than just the scoring column. She dished a team-high six assists, added eight rebounds and came away with five steals.

“She didn’t force shots,” Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman said. “I thought she (even) passed on two or three shots right at the rim and gave it off to her teammates. She did a very good job at taking what the defense gave her and really made good decisions with the ball in her hands.”

Sykes often looked for Butler, who has been struggling so far in the early season. Two of the five shots Butler hit came on Sykes’ passes.

“The fact that she was driving and kicking, it took pressure off of her from driving and for me hitting open shots,” Butler said. “It created open baskets for people to drive, or for (Shakeya Leary) close up. I think it was great to have her play well.”

Three and a half minutes into the game, Sykes and Butler forced Cornell forward Nicholle Aston into giving up the ball. Sykes ran in from half court uncontested and lay in her first two points of the night.

Midway through the half, Syracuse freshman forward Briana Day posted up her defender on the low block. Day missed a turnaround hook shot, but the high-flying Sykes grabbed the offense board. Sykes made the shot while being fouled. The ensuing free throw put the Orange ahead 20-10.

At the half, Sykes had 11 points, four assists and two rebounds. But while she led in two of those categories, she wanted to do more.

 

“I was kind of upset with myself knowing that I wasn’t helping my team (by) going to the offensive glass and getting those possessions back,” Sykes said. “And going to the defensive glass to push the ball out and run the floor.”

Regardless of the lopsided score, Sykes never let up, attacking the offensive glass and diving for loose balls.

“Even if you’re up 20, that lead can be snapped in a matter of seconds when a team goes on a run,” Sykes said. “Even though we’re up 20, we needed to play as if we’re down. That way we can just keep the pedal to the metal and never let up.”

Four minutes into the second half, Sykes missed a point-blank layup, grabbed the rebound and while being fouled, made the follow-up attempt.

The 5-foot-9 guard continued to crash the boards. Leary missed a reverse layup, but Sykes was there to clean up the garbage. She was fouled and made both free throws.

With 10 minutes to go and the Orange leading by 27, Sykes drove to the basket and made a bounce pass to Butler at the 3-point line. Butler nailed the shot.

In the 28 minutes she was on the floor, Sykes was too much for Cornell to handle. She kept her scoring average above 20. But in a game against inferior talent, getting her teammates involved was more important.

“We knew coming into this game we had to play clean, team basketball,” Sykes said. “It’s not always about yourself. At the end of the day, it’s about getting your teammates open and doing things for your team before yourself because in the end, you’re going to need the team to win the game.”

Published on November 19, 2013 at 2:38 am

Contact Josh: jmhyber@syr.edu