It’s happened so many times that it’s become a common sight at a Syracuse women’s basketball game. The team trails, rallies late and emerges ahead behind a clutch shot by sophomore shooting guard Erica Morrow.

But against Seton Hall Tuesday night, Morrow’s magic did not show up. There would be no exhilarating shot to send the Carrier Dome into a frenzy. The guard had the ball in her hand five times with a chance to give Syracuse the lead or tie the game, and could not convert on three shots while turning the ball over twice. The polar opposite of what she’s known for.

Morrow’s struggles in the final minutes of the game helped Seton Hall escape with a 70-66 win. Morrow, who was not made available for comment, missed three shots and also turned the ball over in the final 1:01 of the contest.

‘It takes a lot of courage to have the ball in your hand every big possession, every big game to put us up, and every game we’re in a situation that she has to make a play,’ SU head coach Quentin Hillsman said of Morrow. ‘Ninety-five percent of the time she does, and just this one time she didn’t.’

With the score tied at 66 and 1:40 left on the clock, Morrow dribbled up court before Seton Hall’s Ebonie Williams stole the ball. Morrow then stole the ball back before missing a jumper with 1:01 left.

Morrow, though, quickly grabbed the missed ball to earn a jump ball for the Orange. On the ensuing possession, Morrow came around the left corner for an open look, but could not connect on the shot. The Pirates’ Noteisha Womack grabbed the rebound.

Seton Hall would make one free throw in a one-and-one scenario for a 67-66 lead, but grabbed the offensive board on the second try. Womack then tried to zip the ball across court, but Morrow stepped in like a cornerback to intercept the ball and give the Orange possession with 33 seconds left.

The ball found its way into Morrow’s hands again, but this time, she simply lost control of the ball and Jadis Rhodin came away with it. Two Seton Hall free throws later, the Orange found itself down 69-66 with 10 seconds left. Four possessions for Morrow late in the game had produced two turnovers and two missed shots.

‘Erica’s a great player and we all trust her with the ball in any situation,’ junior forward Nicole Michael said. ‘She usually makes the shot, she just didn’t have a great night. She’s a great player, and I trust her with the ball in any situation.’

With time for just one shot left, Hillsman called on the play for Morrow. As Hillsman described it, though, the Seton Hall players ‘funneled’ Morrow away from the basket and she ended up taking the 3-point shot at the top of the key.

The shot missed and went into the hands of Rhodin under the hoop before Morrow fouled her with less than a second to go. Unlike so many times before, Morrow just could not find her stroke at the end.

‘We switched out on her, and we didn’t want to foul her,’ Seton Hall head coach Phyllis Mangina said. ‘She’s a pretty good player and we knew she was going to get the ball at the very end and we were tying to deny her. She had shots, we’re pretty glad she missed them.’

After the game, Hillsman did not question the shot, but instead offered his opinion that Morrow should have taken more than her 16 attempted. She finished with 14 points on the night, but Hillsman says she should have shot more and that his team can’t win a game with her only taking 16 shots.

If she made one of those late shots, Syracuse might have won the game. Hillsman, though, will not hesitate to give Morrow the ball in the clutch like he’s always done. But for Morrow, tonight was the night she didn’t get to be the hero.

‘Whatever decision she makes on the floor, I totally support her decision,’ Hillsman said. ‘We’re going to give her the ball the next game, were going to give her the ball next week, we’re going to give her the ball next year. You got two more years to see with that ball in her hand taking shots. I got no problem with Erica Morrow.’

mrehalt@syr.edu

Published on January 13, 2009 at 12:00 pm