New Hampshire’s Denise Beliveau caught the ball at the free-throw line early in the first half against Syracuse Monday. She turned, fired and buried a 15-foot jump shot from the middle of the Orange defense.

Along the SU sideline, Quentin Hillsman clapped his hands and bellowed the words ‘no high post’ as his team retreated down the court. Syracuse’s head coach could only shake his head in frustration as his team broke one the most basic defensive principles for the fifth time in the first half.

‘That’s one of our zone’s principles is not letting the ball get to the high post,’ he said. ‘I was quite shocked how many times they got the ball there because that’s something we normally do a very good job of. I was really kind of taken aside by that.’

In the opening minutes of Monday’s 87-46 win against New Hampshire, the visiting Wildcats exploited the middle of the Syracuse (4-0) defense. The offense ran through the hands of New Hampshire’s (1-4) interior players, who continually flashed to the free-throw line to receive passes. But it took fewer than nine minutes for the Orange defense to adjust, taking away the Wildcats’ only consistent attack and blowing the game open in front of 1,014 at the Carrier Dome.

With New Hampshire’s post players catching the ball at the free-throw line, it gave the offense a two-headed attack early on. On two of the team’s early possessions, Jill McDonald and Kate Early each turned and buried a 15-foot jump shot. But subsequent possessions saw the Wildcats’ bigs turn and kick the ball out the perimeter for open 3-point attempts.

Ten of the team’s first 16 points came on baskets assisted by passes from the free-throw line. The Wildcats hit four consecutive 3-point baskets and jumped out to a 16-11 lead less than seven minutes into the game.

‘They were bringing players from different areas (to the high post),’ SU senior guard Erica Morrow said. ‘There is a lot of communication that comes from our forwards and our center also, because our (the guards’) backs are turned.’

But once that communication was improved, the tide of the game changed completely. On New Hampshire’s first possession after a media timeout midway through the first half, SU guard Tasha Harris slid in behind the Wildcats’ cutter. When McDonald caught the ball, she couldn’t turn.

The offense stalled, and SU forced a shot-clock violation.

After UNH held that 16-11 advantage, it made just three field goals over the final 11-plus minutes of the first half. The team began 4-of-10 from the 3-point range but finished the half just 1-of-8.

‘We just made a conscious effort to not give them open looks,’ Hillsman said. ‘It just becomes a point of us locking things down.’

Part of the Wildcats’ early success was due to an element of surprise. After watching tape of all four of UNH’s prior games this season, Hillsman said its offense was drastically different to open Monday’s game.

New Hampshire set screens in different areas and brought players who were cutting to the high post from new spots on the floor.

Once the SU defense became aware, UNH’s entire attack was neutralized. After falling behind 16-11 early, the Orange outscored the Wildcats 31-7 for the rest of the first half. Later in the contest, that advantage had extended to 43 at one point.

One simple adjustment to take away the free-throw line changed the entire complexion of the game. That’s why it’s one of the zone’s basic principles.

‘If we take away the high post and box out,’ Harris said, ‘then we’ll win the game by 30 or 40 points.’

SU did just that. The Wildcats managed only 10 points in the paint throughout the game and finished at a 28 percent clip from beyond the arc.

The ability to dump the ball down low or set up 3-point shooters was gone, and so was New Hampshire’s chance to win the game.

‘If you take that high post away, it usually shuts down most offenses,’ SU center Kayla Alexander said. ‘Take away the high post, 3-point shooters and rebound — that’s an easy way to get a win.’

mjcohe02@syr.edu

 

Published on November 29, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Contact Michael: mjcohe02@syr.edu | @Michael_Cohen13