Miranda Drummond smiled and shook her head. It had been a bit over three minutes, but Syracuse was already well on its way to a blowout. The senior had kept her shoulders to the rim from the opening tip. She drained Syracuse’s first basket from the right elbow. Then she hit in the 3-pointer that put Niagara down by double-digits. As she entered the Syracuse huddle, her teammates’ embrace broke her stoism. Her shoulders dropped, and for the first time since the opening tip, she appeared relaxed.

“I guess, for me, making my first shot, it sets a good tone,” Drummond said.

Drummond’s scoring outburst helped the No. 15 Orange (9-2) to a 94-45 blowout win over Niagara (3-7). The senior scored 19 points on 6 for 11 shooting from the field to lead SU. Her quick trigger on the 3-point line jump-started runs and provided the punch when Niagara grabbed even the slightest bit of momentum.

Since the beginning the season, Drummond has dealt with lower back pain that has held her out of practice some days. Two weeks ago, Drummond said that she hadn’t been participating in most of the Orange’s contact and one-on-one drills. After the Orange beat Towson on Dec. 2, Drummond joked that it hurts when she crashes for rebounds, shoots and gets fouled. On one play at the end of the half in that game, she was fouled on a 3-pointer and was thrown to the ground with the defender.

She landed on her stomach — that’s the worst pain, she said.

The senior hasn’t stopped though.Through the pain, she’s experienced her best stretch of the season. SU head coach Quentin Hillsman said after the Orange’s last win he told Drummond she needs to “hunt” her shot. He said earlier this season he wants that from all of his players since “selfish turnovers” are a result of over-passing. If you can make a shot, take it. Since then, Drummond has scored double-digit points in each of her last five contests. She’s shown no hesitation at the 3-point line, where she’s shot 20 for 47 since she scored a season-high 21 points in the Orange’s last-second win over then-No. 16 DePaul.

Postgame Monday, Drummond said that she’s around “75 percent.” Recently, she’s been practicing in full and has experienced no setbacks. Her shiftiness and quick release provided Syracuse a boost from the opening tip.

Prior to the season Hillsman said SU would play a high-low type game in the painted area with his forwards which would increase the assist production from the group. Though that hasn’t materialized in the Orange’s fast-paced, quick trigger offense, he urged that guards and forwards contribute on the glass with intensity.

In the first quarter, as she boosted the Orange from the outside, Drummond crashed back in, grabbed an offensive rebound and drew a foul. A model of the “balance” that Hillsman has mentioned repeatedly this season, Drummond tied the team lead in offensive rebounds — two isn’t a high number, Hillsman said, but he’d prefer limited opportunities when SU shoots over 51 percent — and tacked on five steals.

Later in the half, SU point guard Tiana Mangakahia, who had a season-high 15 assists in Syracuse’s win, pushed the ball up the court and looked back at Drummond who trailed. As she approached the 3-point line, she hesitated and then darted to the rim, shoveling a no-look pass behind her back that led perfectly into Drummond’s hop. Drummond’s 3-pointer put the Orange ahead by 23. The senior waved her hand in celebration and posed as the crowd screeched.

“She’s a phenomenal shooter,” Hillsman said. “We need to continue to find her in transition. … Whenever she can get standstill 3’s, she’s probably going to make those.”

Standing by the free-throw line before halftime, Drummond’s eyes drifted to the sideline where she saw Digna Strautmane rise from the bench. Drummond rolled her eyes and prepped to leave the court. It was the Orange’s game: Emily Engstler had a career-high 16 points, Mangakahia’s passing set up teammates with ease and all but three players scored for SU. But Drummond dominated.

She kept a straight face as she walked down the bench offering high-fives to her teammates. But as she went to sit down, again, she shook her head, and cracked a grin. This wasn’t out of the ordinary, this was Drummond.

Published on December 17, 2018 at 2:39 pm

Contact Michael: mmcclear@syr.edu | @MikeJMcCleary