After opening Atlantic Coast Conference play with a loss to No. 7 Louisville, Syracuse (6-6, 0-1 ACC) returns to the Carrier Dome for the first time since Dec. 8 to host No. 8 Florida State (13-0, 2-0) Thursday night in the Carrier Dome. The Seminoles are one of nine remaining undefeated teams in the country and have already knocked off then-No. 24 Michigan, then-No. 19 Michigan State and then-No. 6 Texas A&M. FSU hasn’t lost a regular season game since the Orange defeated it on Feb. 28 last season.

Before Syracuse plays its second top-10 opponent at home and goes for a second ranked win in seven tries this season, here’s what to know about the Seminoles.

All-time series: Tied, 3-3

Last time they played: It took 44 points from Tiana Mangakahia and a 62.1 team shooting percentage for No. 17 Syracuse to leave Tallahassee with a 94-88 win against the No. 22 Seminoles on Feb. 28, 2019. Mangakahia shot 16-for-20 from the field and came within one point of tying SU’s all-time record for most points in a game. 

She scored the Orange’s final six points — all free throws — after Florida State erased an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. The victory was one of 11 for Syracuse in ACC play last year.

The Florida State report: To this point, the Seminoles are led by three players that average double-figures, including Nausia Woolfolk and Kiah Gillespie at 15.6 and 15.1 points per game, respectively.

Unlike Syracuse, which tends to rely on the 3-point shot when interior possessions end with missed layups and bobbled possessions, the Seminoles incorporate a balanced attack. 

They average over 15 assists per game and hold a plus-12.7 rebounding advantage, along with a plus-22.6 point differential. Gillespie leads Florida State in the rebounding category, averaging 9.5 per game to put her near a double-double consistently.

How Syracuse beats Florida State: In past games against ranked opponents, the Orange have folded down the stretch — especially in the final minute. Offensive possessions become sloppy, shots become heaves and marginal plays, such as a missed free throw rebound, plague Syracuse. Since Florida State focuses primarily on the interior shots, an effective 2-3 zone will need to complement a complete 40-minute effort for Syracuse to become the first team this year to upset the Seminoles.

At times, SU has abandoned its traditional defense for man-to-man, including batches against Louisville last Sunday. But the counter to FSU’s offensive approach likely rests in the zone forcing 3-pointers. If some grouping of Amaya Finklea-Guity, Digna Strautmane, Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi and Emily Engstler can anchor the backline and prevent FSU’s guards from finishing at the rim, the Seminoles will settle for 3s instead.

On the offensive end, Gabrielle Cooper will need to rediscover her shooting form to complement the performances that Kiara Lewis has been generating for the Orange. Against West Virginia, when Lewis had a career-high 32, Cooper stumbled to an 0-for-10 game from behind the arc. Against Louisville, she added two more misses to her ice-cold slump. In games that Cooper’s found a rhythm from long range — specifically Houston and Michigan State — the Orange have cruised to resume-boosting wins. Whether the output comes from Cooper or Teisha Hyman off the bench, Syracuse needs a consistent 3-point shooter behind Lewis to score points in bunches to keep up with FSU.

Stat to know: 1.10 — The assist to turnover ratio for Florida State through 13 games this season, good for 44th in the country. Syracuse, on the other hand, ranks 100 spots lower with a .86 ratio (164 turnovers, 191 assists). In order to upset Florida State, an offensive output nearing the 80s is likely needed. That’s something SU has hit just twice this season, and part of that has to do with lost possessions due to turnovers.

Player to watch: Kiah Gillespie, No. 15

For a team that doesn’t rely on the 3-point shot, Gillespie is an essential offensive piece that the Seminoles have turned to every game. She’s the second-leading scorer at 15.1 points per game, and that number is nearly double the next forward’s average (8.3). Syracuse’s interior defense has been spotty at times, especially against ranked opponents — Oregon’s Satou Sabally scored 23 points on Nov. 24, Stanford’s Nadia Fingall scored 10 on Nov. 29 — which could open things up for Gillespie.

Published on January 2, 2020 at 12:02 pm

Contact Andrew: arcrane@syr.edu | @CraneAndrew