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After reaching 3,000 career points Sunday, Dyaisha Fair said postgame she needed to celebrate herself more. It spurred from a conversation she had with her pastor over Christmas break while at home in Rochester, New York. The pastor told Fair “success sometimes gets lonely,” and it’s OK to “pat yourself on the back.”

Fair got emotional postgame, saying she needed those words of encouragement. And after breaking into the record books and leading a 19-point comeback victory against Clemson, there hasn’t been a better time for Fair to give herself credit.

The star point guard entered Sunday’s matchup with the Tigers needing 14 points to surpass the 3,000 career points mark. Though Fair was held to two points in the first half and Syracuse trailed by as much as 19 in the third quarter, it seemed history would have to be made on another day. But Fair took matters into her own hands. She exploded for 14 fourth-quarter points and spurred a 14-0 SU run in the final quarter, where Fair contributed to every point.

She led Syracuse (14-2, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) to a stunning, 83-82 comeback win over Clemson (8-9, 1-4 ACC). The win extended SU’s winning streak to three games and improved its home record to 10-0.

“It was something that I had to snap out of after the first half and just do whatever was needed for my team,” Fair said postgame. “We always say ‘Let’s win the day’ in practice…It was to do whatever I could do to win the day.”

Dyaisha Fair became the 16th woman and 26th D-I player ever to reach the 3,000-point milestone. Fair notched 21 points against Clemson on Jan. 14 to hit the prestigious mark. Joe Zhao | Asst. Photo Editor

It appeared inevitable that Fair would reach the 3,000 mark on Sunday afternoon. Through SU’s first 15 games this season, Fair finished with under 14 just once. And facing off against Clemson — the worst defense in the ACC (69.6 points allowed per game) — the matchup was tailor-made for Fair to make history.

But the contest couldn’t have started slower for Fair and the Orange. Clemson took a commanding 29-19 lead through one quarter. The Tigers nailed each of their first five shots and led 14-3 just two minutes into the game. Their 29-point opening quarter tied for the second-most points scored in a quarter in program history.

The Orange shot 8-for-19 in the opening quarter and struggled in transition. Clemson guards Dayshanette Harris and Ruby Whitehorn ran the floor with a pace SU couldn’t stop — the two combined for 16 points through the first 10 minutes, including seven fast break points.

For most of the second quarter, Syracuse displayed improved defense as Clemson started 2-for-8 from the floor. Though SU continued to shoot poorly, it kept its deficit to 10 points.

Then, midway through the frame, with the Orange trailing 33-23, Georgia Woolley drove inside and found Alyssa Latham, who hit a close-range jumper to bring them within eight. On the next play, Woolley stole the ball from Clemson’s Madi Ott off the inbounds pass. Woolley instantly rose up for a lay-in and drew Ott to commit a shooting foul, giving Woolley a 3-point play chance.

Still, as it did most of the afternoon, Clemson responded.

Woolley missed the ensuing free throw and fell to the ground with an apparent hand injury. The Tigers had a 5-on-4 going the other way and forward Amari Robinson, who finished with a game-high 37 points, cashed in with a layup. Robinson nailed each of her next two shots as well, scoring after a Fair missed 3 and an Alaina Rice turnover. Then, Clemson’s Mackenzie Kramer swished a 3 from the top of the key. Syracuse’s six-point deficit evaporated to a 42-27 disadvantage.

The Orange did take a 45-34 deficit into the break after a 3-pointer by Latham and four points from Rice. Yet, Fair was 1-for-6 shooting and 0-for-4 from beyond the arc through 20 minutes in her lowest-scoring first half of the season.

Though Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack never wavered. She wanted Fair to stay persistent.

“Fight. Fight on,” Legette-Jack said to Fair at the half. “I don’t care if you throw the ball over the rim. You shoot the ball because we came here shooting it, we’re going to leave here shooting it.

“She understood the assignment, and balls started falling.”

It took Fair until there was less than a minute left in the third quarter to get going offensively. Syracuse was beginning to claw back from what was a 19-point deficit early in the quarter and entered the fourth quarter down just 11 points — courtesy of Fair.

With 51 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Fair drove past Harris and drew a shooting foul, knocking down the ensuing free throws. Then, as time ticked below five seconds, Fair received a pass from Woolley and nailed her first 3-pointer of the day from the right wing.

Fair carried that hot stretch into the fourth quarter, where she willed SU to a comeback. She brought the Orange within 10 at the 8:55 mark after drilling a 3-pointer from the top of the key. A layup from Kyra Wood drew Syracuse to an eight-point deficit, but it didn’t shake Robinson. She scored each of the Tigers’ first six points in the fourth quarter, and the Orange couldn’t seem to pull away.

A 3 from MaKayla Elmore made it 72-60 Clemson with 6:31 left. But for the next 2:57, Syracuse went on a 14-0 run. Fair got the run started by assisting on a Rice 3-pointer before scoring the next 11 points.

Off a Harris miss, Fair grabbed a rebound and splashed a 3 on the other end. Then, as SU displayed a full-court press, Sophie Burrows got a steal and catalyzed another Syracuse possession. On the inbounds pass, the Orange instantly went to Fair, who worked on Whitehorn in the left corner and drew a foul on a 3-point attempt.

Before the free throw tries, Fair was at 2,999 career points. She made all three from the charity stripe, passing the 3,000 points threshold, to bring SU within three points.

Fair then tied the game at 72-72, canning a mid-range jumper and making one free throw. And after penetrating the lane, crossing over on Harris and burying another 2-point jumper at the 3:44 mark, Fair gave the Orange their first lead of the day at 74-72.

From there, Clemson and Syracuse traded blow after blow. Wood scored five consecutive points to put SU up 79-75, then Robinson responded with four points of her own. As time ticked below 1:00, Kennedi Perkins banked in a floater to give the Orange an 81-79 lead and warrant a Tigers’ timeout. After the timeout, Robinson buried a 3-pointer over Latham with 30 seconds remaining as Clemson held an 82-81 lead.

Still, through Robinson’s dominance, all Syracuse needed was to get the ball into Fair’s hands. With under 10 seconds left, Fair dribbled with her left hand and blew by Harris. Once she got in the paint, Fair stopped and jumped up, sending a left-handed pass to Latham, who was wide open in front of the basket. Latham cashed in the go-ahead layup, and the Orange stalled the Tigers on the other end.

Fair’s historic day was capped off with a historic comeback for Syracuse — its largest under Legette-Jack.

“She’s different, she’s special, she’s one of the best players to ever play the game,” Legette-Jack said of Fair. “I really am just so in awe to be able to witness this on a daily basis.”

Published on January 14, 2024 at 4:32 pm

Contact Cooper at: ccandrew@syr.edu | @cooper_andrews