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Throughout the year, Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack has stressed the importance of rebounding. In her preseason press conference, the third-year head coach said cleaning the glass was the Orange’s identity.

“(Rebounding) is who we are,” Legette-Jack said. “We (offensive) board, we rebound and we run.”

She’s not wrong. Despite the Orange struggling to start the season, rebounding has been one of their only strong qualities. SU entered its fourth Atlantic Coast Conference contest versus SMU ranked 15th in both offensive rebounds per game (15.7) and offensive rebounding rate (40.9%), per HerHoopStats.

Against SMU (10-6, 2-2 ACC), Syracuse (6-9, 0-4 ACC) was strong on the glass in the first half, outrebounding the Mustangs 20-15. But down the stretch, SMU consistently boxed out SU’s players under the basket. This allowed SMU to stay in the game and pull out a one-point overtime victory.

Heading into the contest, it seemed the Mustangs would have the advantage on the glass, as they ranked ninth in average offensive rebounds and 13th in total rebounds per game. Additionally, SU’s leading rebounder, Kyra Wood, was sidelined for the second straight game after missing its game against FSU due to being in concussion protocol.

In her absence, Izabel Varejão and Saniaa Wilson slotted into the starting lineup. The duo was largely ineffective, though, only combining for 10 rebounds. Against SMU, Legette-Jack swapped Wilson for Arizona State transfer Journey Thompson, which initially worked.

To start, the two squads went pound for pound under the basket. After SMU’s Kaysia Woods snagged the ball after a Varejão missed layup, Syracuse regained possession once Sophie Burrows nabbed a defensive board on a Nya Robertson miss.

Though Syracuse kept pace with SMU in the rebounding battle, it failed to collect defensive boards, continuously cutting possessions short. This let SMU get out to an early 11-4 lead.

The two teams finished the first quarter tied 10-10 in rebounds, though the Mustangs still held a 16-10 lead heading into the break.

Though Syracuse exploded on the glass after the timeout. First, Varejão collected an offensive rebound and sank the second-chance attempt. A minute later, Thompson did the same off a Madeline Potts misfired 3, capping a 6-0 run that tied the game at 16-16.

Midway through the quarter, key offensive rebounds from Wilson and Dominique Camp allowed the Orange to tie the score at 23-23 after Georgia Woolley and Burrows drilled their ensuing shots. Moments later, SU pulled down two rebounds on one possession and made SMU pay, taking its first lead of the game on an Angelica Velez jumper.

SU entered the half trailing 32-31, propelled by a 10-5 second-quarter lead in boards, including a 6-1 advantage on the offensive glass. In addition, Syracuse bottled up SMU’s leading rebounder, Jessica Peterson (12.5 rebounds per game), not allowing her to snag a single rebound in the first half.

In the third quarter, Syracuse started out on the right foot, tallying two rebounds one-and-a-half minutes in. In response, Burrows canned a triple to put the Orange ahead 36-34.

From there, SU’s momentum on the boards waned, as SMU outrebounded it by five in the quarter. Peterson corralled her first two rebounds in a span of 42 seconds, part of a seven-rebound second half and overtime period. Legette-Jack mentioned postgame that eliminating Peterson in the first half allowed SU to control the glass. However, its inability to hold her back proved to be crucial down the stretch.

“We had the opportunity to hold (Peterson) off and put her under, and we lost discipline. We didn’t wall up,” Legette-Jack said.

From there, Syracuse built a 41-36 lead, but missed shots and rebounds from SMU’s Donavia Hall and TK Pitts gave it extra chances, tying the score 42-42. Though SMU only led 49-48 entering the final quarter of regulation, four rebounds in the final two minutes of the quarter prevented Syracuse from pulling in front.

Both teams went back and forth to begin the fourth, continuing to have lengthy possessions due to offensive rebounds. Though with the game still knotted at 53-53, each squad went into a dry spell from the field, with five straight missed shots immediately followed by defensive rebounds.

As the two sides engaged in a tight battle down the stretch, rebounds proved even more crucial than ever. With SU up by three with 49 seconds left, Burrows pulled down the board on a Zanai Jones missed triple. This should’ve put Syracuse in a good position to win, but after Woods tied the game, the Orange failed to corral the ball after Woolley bricked a game-tying layup, sending the contest to overtime.

In the extra period, Peterson made her mark. The 6-foot-2 center started by pulling in a defensive rebound and turning it into two points on the other end. She then grabbed two more boards, not allowing Syracuse to respond for two minutes.

Although Syracuse took the lead with 17 seconds left after a Varejão put-back, Peterson’s prowess on the glass proved to be enough for SMU to claim victory. Robertson drove to the basket and drained a floater with one second remaining, putting a stamp on the contest.

Syracuse was mere seconds away from capturing its first ACC win of the season, but its second-half breakdown on the glass ultimately lost the game.

Published on January 9, 2025 at 3:19 pm

Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @ Noahnuss99