In the face of the dagger that all but ended her Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Khyasia Caldwell smiled with her mouth wide open. She drove to her left side, into the lane where No. 12-seed Virginia had gotten its points for a majority of the contest. A 3-pointer sailed through the net for the Cavaliers a few possessions earlier. And, down 10 with around two minutes to play, a comeback was possible. Syracuse let them hang around.

So Caldwell took the opportunity and burst into the lane, fought through contact and put the ball into the basket. But the outstretched arm of the referee brought the Virginia sideline to a stunned silence as its SU counterpart took the ball the other way after a charge was called. In the point of the game that provided the Cavaliers their greatest momentum, the Orange still got their way.

Behind a balanced performance throughout the lineup, No. 5-seed Syracuse (23-7, 11-5 Atlantic Coast) advanced to the third round of the ACC tournament with a 67-57 win over Virginia (12-19, 5-11). The Orange will play Miami in the third round Friday, who they lost to 84-71 on Jan. 23.

“We had a great balance. We were able to get a few players off the floor probably for a few more minutes than we had to play,” SU head coach Quentin Hillsman said. “At this time of year it’s about winning the game, and we gotta do whatever we need to do to get a W.”

The Orange used a mixed effort of an inside-outside game from both their forwards and their guards. Guards drove to the lane frequently, while Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi, Amaya Finklea-Guity and Digna Strautmane made moves in the post for easy scores, but Strautmane pushed the forwards out past the perimeter with multiple second-half 3-pointers.

Last Monday, after the Orange fell one spot in the Associated Press women’s college basketball poll, the NCAA slotted the Orange as a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament’s Portland regional. A hosting bid has been a season-long goal for the Orange who have identified opportunities for big wins as they came.

After Syracuse’s loss to Miami earlier in the season, Hillsman confidently guaranteed a berth. But late-season matchups provided an opportunity to move among the country’s elites. But the Orange were crushed by national powers Louisville and Notre Dame. The chances were running out. But the ACC tournament provided an opportunity at a second chance. The Orange will get another shot at Miami, which caught SU in the midst of its worst shooting stretch of the season and, if it advances, could once again meet Notre Dame.

Prior to Thursday, SU’s recent play provided promise. It picked up a resume-boosting road win at then-No. 22 Florida State and then crushed Boston College. In the middle was Tiana Mangakahia, who scored 44 points against the Seminoles and passed the 1000-point plateau with a big performance against the Eagles.

Thursday began differently, with a different point guard at the forefront of the Orange’s explosive offense. Kiara Lewis dribbled into the lane and put the ball between her legs and got into the lane frequently. She scored eight points in the first half, third on the team behind Miranda Drummond and Gabrielle Cooper’s nine points on three 3-pointers.

“I know a lot of teams focus more on Tiana,” Lewis said, “so I think that’s my opportunity to come off the bench and step up.”

As the guards found a rhythm, Cooper connected on a 3-pointer, and SU started to gain a lead after playing Virginia close in the early part of the game. When Lewis slowed down, Mangakahia used hesitation dribbles to get into the lane for a scoop layup.

Once Syracuse’s play picked up, Virginia glided into the lane and attempted to stop the run. Caldwell attempted a one-handed layup as the seconds ticked off in the second quarter. But Lewis got her right hand on the shot, and she grabbed the rebound. Her lead pass flew too strong, but the Orange went to the break with an 11-point lead.

In the second half, Lewis picked up where she left off. She picked up a hand-off on the top of the key and drove into the lane with her right hand and switched to the other hand for a lay in. When the Orange struggled to get shots to fall from the outside, a simple group of two straight passes from the top of the key to the elbow and then to the inside gave the Orange an easy bucket and lead.

“Obviously I didn’t have a great game. I had a couple of turnovers and stuff,” Mangakahia said. “But it’s always good when everyone’s contributing to the game and everyone’s giving what they bring to the table.”

At times, the Orange made mistakes. Their defense allowed drives to the rim when it was seemingly Virginia’s only offense. On one possession in the third quarter, Syracuse was nursing a 10-point lead, and a defensive rebound short-hopped to Djaldi-Tabdi who sat on the elbow. Instead of turning with the ball in her arms, Djaldi-Tabdi made a quick shovel pass to Mangakahia. The ball was mishandled and after a brief skirmish, Virginia came out with the ball.

Another chance for SU to get the ball before the end of the quarter came, and Virginia got it back. As they had for spurts of the game, Syracuse relied on Virginia not to capitalize. And on Thursday, the Cavaliers didn’t.

“We were talking about attacking the basket and attacking the paint off the bounce and post feeds,” Hillsman said. “And our offense did a really good job of really recognizing when they’re open and when they’re having good shots.”

Tuesday, Hillsman didn’t attach a number to the amount of games he thinks the Orange needs to host. He just focuses on playing — and winning — the next game. As he has all season. But with a win and a shot at a revenge win over a team that beat it earlier in the season ahead, Syracuse is one step closer to its hosting goal.

Published on March 7, 2019 at 2:06 pm

Contact Michael: mmcclear@syr.edu | @MikeJMcCleary