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Despite being outnumbered, it was Emily Engstler’s rebound to lose. With the rest of SU’s zone positioned on the left side of the floor, she stayed on the right block while three Pittsburgh players crashed the glass. 

Engstler volleyed the ball past one opponent and to herself before having it knocked toward Syracuse’s bench. She and two Pittsburgh players darted for the loose ball, yet it was a diving Engstler who surfaced with the ball once again. From the ground, she shoveled a pass to Kamilla Cardoso, sparking SU’s fast break that ended in two made free throws by Priscilla Williams. At various points during the game, five other Syracuse players dove for loose balls like Engstler. 

While two runs — a 17-2 start and a 20-2 finish to the game — provided the difference, Engstler’s hustle epitomized an all-around effort from Syracuse that kept the Orange ahead all game. Syracuse (8-3, 5-3 Atlantic Coast) defeated Pittsburgh (4-5, 2-4), 80-57 after burying the Panthers early and keeping them at arm’s length before taking charge once again to close out the game. Five players scored in double figures for the Orange, led by Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi’s 17 points.

Syracuse began the week outside of the AP Top 25 for the first time all season. It led head coach Quentin Hillsman to label this game “the most important for our season right now” via Zoom on Tuesday. Pregame, Hillsman reiterated that.

“I told our players, ‘we don’t win this game, season’s over, we’re going to the NIT,’” Hillsman said postgame. “Period. That’s what I told them. ‘We’re done.’”

The Orange played like it from the jump. On the opening tip, Tiana Mangakahia wrestled the ball away from an opponent, and seconds later, she used her eyes to lure a defender to the corner before passing to a cutting Williams for the layup. On its following two possessions, Kiara Lewis dialed up a 3 from the left wing to make the score 5-0, then Williams converted from an almost identical spot to extend Syracuse’s lead to eight. The early run prompted Pittsburgh head coach Lance White to call a timeout just under two minutes in. 

SU kept the pressure on for the remainder of the quarter. Mangakahia canned a 3-pointer of her own from the top of the key. Engstler banked home a runner while Djaldi-Tabdi finished a fast-break layup. Taleah Washington then capped SU’s lead at 15 with a deep 3-pointer from the right wing, her first shot since Dec. 20 against Boston College.

Emily Engstler had her 500th-career rebound in Syracuse’s win over Pittsburgh. Courtesy of Rich Barnes | USA Today Sports

Pittsburgh progressively chipped away for the next 30 minutes, but in the first half, Syracuse responded. When Destiny Strother hit her second 3-pointer of the game, getting the Panthers back within 11 for a third time, Washington responded with her own triple, and Djaldi-Tabdi got a right-handed hook shot to fall. From the sidelines, White threw up both hands and shook his head while smiling, in dismay at how to stifle SU. 

“That’s why we’re the best team in the country,” Engstler said. “And I’ll say it every single time I get interviewed.”

But in the third quarter, the Orange shot just 25% from the field after making over half their shots in the first 20 minutes, and Pitt capitalized on it. Then, it was Strother answering Digna Strautmane’s make and Pitt’s Gabbie Green responding to Djaldi-Tabdi’s second 3-pointer of the game. With seven minutes left, Pittsburgh had narrowed Syracuse’s lead to two points.

The Orange led by six a minute later, when Mangakahia was pressured by Pitt’s Jayla Everett and lost the ball. This time, it was the veteran’s turn to hit the floor, diving to secure a jump ball with possession favoring Syracuse. But Mangakahia had her 3 blocked, and she was called for her fourth foul since she gave Everett nowhere to land. 

So, Hillsman turned to Washington. Pittsburgh could’ve gotten back within one possession on its next trip down the floor, but SU’s backup guard denied the Panthers an extra shot with a defensive rebound. On the other end, every Syracuse player touched the basketball, and the sequence culminated in another 3-pointer for Djaldi-Tabdi. 

“Just a real, big-girl-toughness play,” Hillsman said of Washington. “That rebound was huge, it was.”

Syracuse then forced a Pittsburgh turnover, but Williams pulled up for 3 on the fast break, trying to deliver the dagger. She missed, and Pittsburgh took the long rebound right back down the floor for an and-1 layup, bringing the score to 60-53. Hillsman screamed after Williams, “Priscilla, get your ass back!” 

Another Pittsburgh score sent the two teams to the game’s final media timeout, giving Hillsman one last chance to will his team back to its early-game intensity. The Orange responded emphatically, finishing on that 20-2 run. First, it was Cardoso via Mangakahia. Then, a Williams steal set up Lewis to give it back to her for an easy layup. 

Engstler capped the scoring with her second trifecta, giving her 12 points and 13 rebounds, including her 500th career board and fifth double-double this season. Late in the game, the Orange stretched the lead from long range — Engstler, then Williams, then Lewis. 

“I told them this is for our tournament, and it’s how I feel,” Hillsman said. “They came out, and they responded. So I got to give them all credit for responding.”

Published on January 28, 2021 at 8:13 pm

Contact Tim: tnolan@syr.edu