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A week before Syracuse faced Virginia, it erased a three-game slide by defeating Clemson 67-55.

With a week off from game action, SU head coach Felisha-Legette Jack wanted the Orange to keep up their momentum. However, Syracuse fell into old habits.

SU led by 14 points in the third quarter, but like its loss to then-No. 20 NC State, it collapsed in the fourth quarter.

“We were playing good team basketball, moving the ball, and there’s no reason we needed to stop doing that in the fourth quarter,” Sophie Burrows said. “And I think that’s what we need to keep going to because we’ve been in these situations a few times now.”

In the final 10 minutes, UVA’s leading scorers Kymora Johnson and Latasha Lattimore took over. Syracuse’s (8-13, 2-8 Atlantic Coast) once-flowing offense couldn’t find a response and was outscored 18-9 in the fourth quarter, leading to a 70–67 loss to Virginia (12-11, 4-7 Atlantic Coast). The Orange missed eight straight field goals in the middle of the fourth quarter and couldn’t capitalize on Burrows’ career-high 22 points.

“We certainly had opportunities to have some winning success today,” Legette-Jack said.

But over the final 7:33 minutes, SU hit just two field goals. Its once-promising offense that succeeded in the paint earlier in the game was not there.

“We just started doing some silly desperation stuff, like spin dribbling,” Legette-Jack said. “Against the traps, having the two-guard bring the ball up as opposed to our point guard…We just got a little herky-jerky out there.”

Syracuse got out to a 16-14 lead in the first quarter by going to the paint. On five straight possessions, Kyra Wood, Izabel Varejão and Georgia Woolley scored from inside. Burrows, with two first-half 3s, and Camp, with five early assists, paced SU’s offense.

Syracuse’s first sign of a stagnant offense came when Camp was subbed out with under 1:42 minutes left in the first quarter. Without their starting point guard, the Orange couldn’t generate offense. Virginia ended the frame on a 7-0 run, taking a 23-20 lead into the second quarter.

Behind an active defense, SU went on a 9-2 run to start the second quarter, jumping into a 29-25 lead at the midway point of the frame. But, just as soon as the Orange took the lead, it disappeared. The Cavaliers came back with a 9-0 run of their own.

Syracuse found a way to combat UVA early in the third quarter behind its defense again. The Orange forced the Cavaliers into five turnovers in the first five minutes and their offense was clicking on the other end. Burrows knocked down two triples as SU went on a 17-4 to take a 54-40 lead at the midway point of the frame.

However, SU’s offense lost its rhythm again, turning the ball over on two straight possessions. Johnson and Lattimore then led an 11-2 run to cut the Orange’s lead to five with under two minutes in the third.

Syracuse started the fourth quarter with two straight turnovers, but then Camp sparked its offense with an assist to Wood on a fast break. Though, that basket ended up being one of SU’s final field goals.

On the other side, Virginia missed their first two shots of the frame but then got hot. The Cavaliers got going behind two 3s by Lattimore.

“We knew (Lattimore) could shoot threes, and we go down and guard the kid on the block and don’t get out to the 3-point shooter twice,” Legette-Jack said. “We’re smarter than that.”

At the 6:57 mark, Johnson stole the ball from Woolley for SU’s third turnover of the frame and it led to a layup by Edessa Noyan. Just like that, SU’s once 14-point lead had evaporated and the game was tied 62-62.

SU’s shooting fell cold in the final seven minutes of the contest. The Orange ended a near-three-minute scoring drought on a free throw by Wood but after that, they only hit two more field goals.

One year after relying heavily on Dyaisha Fair to turn up in the fourth quarter, SU is still looking for answers late in contests.

“(Dyaisha Fair) was one of a kind player who would knock down their shots, like time after time in those tight situation games and I don’t necessarily think we have that player this year,” Burrows said.

SU’s leading scorer this season, Woolley, only hit two points in the fourth quarter and Burrows also scored two. Meanwhile, Lattimore and Johnson hit key shots down the stretch, leading UVA to hand SU its eighth conference loss.

“We had three great quarters, and then we panicked down the stretch,” Legette-Jack said.

Published on February 2, 2025 at 2:04 pm

Contact Timmy at: tswilcox@syr.edu | @TimmyWilcox32