Quentin Hillsman was frustrated. Though his star point guard Tiana Mangakahia had her share of brilliant moments throughout the season, he had a game plan for North Carolina. He talked to her about it, but it seemed as if she didn’t listen. Multiple times, she missed players up the floor in transition: an emphasis of her and Hillsman’s, whose quick-trigger offense relies on the ability to get the ball down the court. And quick.

Hillsman yelled. And Mangakahia heard it all game. She knew she wasn’t doing everything right. Maybe it even held her back, Hillsman said after the Orange’s (14-2, 3-0 Atlantic coast) 90-77 win over North Carolina (9-8, 0-3). He trudged to the scorer’s table, convinced his point guard played “awful.” But then he saw the stats.

“I probably should be quiet,” Hillsman joked.

“Because she’s…” he stopped, doubled over and chuckled. “34, 10 and 10. I don’t know what I’m talking about.”

Mangakahia’s 34-point, 10-rebound and 10-assist triple-double is the first triple-double of that fashion in Syracuse history and the fourth triple-double all time. When the Orange were challenged by the pace of play early in the game, Mangakahia responded and took control. Through its star point guard, Syracuse tallied its lowest turnover total of the season and extended its winning streak to eight with its third-straight ACC win.

This isn’t the first time Mangakahia’s brilliance stole the attention: Sunday’s scoring was her season-high point total, and the fifth 20-point game of the season for the pass-first guard, who said she’s the best “true point guard” in the ACC. Between Mangakahia’s takeovers, her ability to control a game’s pace remains an important facet of Hillsman’s directive.

Susie Teucsher | Digital Design Editor

In the preseason, Hillsman and associate head coach Vonn Read didn’t hesitate to downplay how an improved frontcourt would slow the game down for the Orange. SU would play fast, as they usually do.

North Carolina tried to cheat, though. Knowing well of Syracuse’s pace, UNC guards leaked out behind the SU defense for open looks in transition. Hillsman wasn’t surprised and said it’s a game plan that showed in UNC’s tape from games earlier in the season and in past years.

Syracuse caught a couple of early breaks: a wide-open missed layup, and another one a few possessions later led to SU conversions on the other end that halted the Tar Heels’ speed. Coupled with the best first-half 3-point performance in program history (Mangakahia said all game UNC gave SU shooters too much space), the Orange grabbed an early lead and went to the break up 19.

But at halftime, the quick plays, the abandoned rebound attempts, the wide open transition looks continued. SU’s lead fell to 11 — timeout SU. Then seven — another stoppage. SU needed a new strategy.

“We sometimes come in not ready to go and the teams are able to come back on us,” Digna Strautmane said. “I feel like we need to be more ready.”

But a new strategy required the Orange to tap into a frequent contributor. The seismic shift of the game came in the likeliest of forms.  As the Orange settled, the pace of play fell to the hands of Mangakahia. 

It wasn’t the same play every time: there were some breakaways, there were some drives, there were some jumpers. But anyway she could, Mangakahia controlled the game.

She completed passes far from the other side of the court, drove to the hoop and stepped into wide-open shots from the top of the key. Her and-one layup ignited the crowd and her slowed down play with the ball settled an SU offense that flirted with collapse. Hillsman said before the season he wanted balance. Mangakahia, who practiced her 3-pointer this summer to give her something to turn to at any point of the game, gave a lot of everything.

Near the end of the fourth quarter, Strautmane leaked into the lane unguarded and jumped up, begging for the ball. But Mangakahia waved her off, smiled and pointed to Hillsman on the sideline. Time was running off the clock, that was the time to slow down. By the end of the game, the Orange once again found its pace. And it went at the speed of Mangakahia.

“Last year, nobody knew who I was coming in. Now this season, everyone knew my kind of game. They knew I like to pass,” Mangakahia said. “I kind of like it when teams try to take me away from what I’m trying to do. I just push harder.”

She paused and smiled: “Obviously, when things are going well I like it.”

Published on January 13, 2019 at 7:07 pm

Contact Michael: mmcclear@syr.edu | @MikeJMcCleary