The Orange survived and advanced against California in their second round matchup.
Back in January, the Syracuse University women's basketball team needed three overtimes and a Dominque Darius buzzer-beater to defeat California in an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season matchup. The rematch proved far easier for the Orange on Thursday, as they secured a 70-59 second-round win in the ACC Tournament over the Golden Bears. Leading the way for the Orange was Uche Izoje, who scored 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and registered four blocks.
Second team All-ACC selection Laila Phelia added 17 points in the win.
Sakima Walker led the scoring for the Golden Bears as she scored 19 points in a losing effort. Gisella Maul posted 13 points and eight rebounds.
Here's what you need to know.
Defense the key
Syracuse's defense held California to single-digits in both quarters of the first half. The Golden Bears were only able to post seven points in the first quarter and just nine additional points before hitting halftime. The 16 total points was the lowest mark of any game for the Golden Bears at halftime this season. The tough Orange defense held California to a remarkable 7-28 from the field in the opening 20 minutes.
California's comeback bid falls short
Despite trailing by 21 points (37-16) at the midway mark, the Golden Bears clawed back within single-digits in the fourth quarter. If California were to have found a way to win, the 21-point come from behind victory would have been the largest in the history of the ACC tournament.
Izoje's season accolades
Izoje's standout performance comes just days after she cleaned up in the postseason conference awards. The freshman was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and also garnered All-ACC First Team, All-ACC Defensive Team and All-ACC Freshman Team selections.
What lies ahead
Syracuse will need to win three more games to win the ACC tournament and clinch in automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. The No. 7 Orange will take on the No. 2 Louisville Cardinals on Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. ET.
In the lone game between the schools from earlier this season, Louisville defeated Syracuse 84-65. Laura Ziegler led the Cardinals scoring in the Feb. 20 matchup with a 22-point performance. Ziegler's teammate, Mackenly Randolph, added 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Join the Conversation
Remember to join our SYRACUSE on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Orange fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!