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To start its 2024 campaign, Syracuse has struggled. Despite dominating Niagara in its season opener, SU sits under .500 for the first time under head coach Felicia Legette-Jack.

First, the Orange fell to Saint Joseph’s 84-70 after being outscored by 11 in the third quarter. SU’s 3-point defense plagued them against the Hawks, as Saint Joseph’s shot 14-for-26 from beyond the arc. Then, Syracuse was defeated by No. 11 Maryland 84-73. Though they pulled within four with 3:53 left, the Orange couldn’t get enough shots to land to come out with a win.

SU will look to bounce back Sunday against Fairleigh Dickinson University, which seems to be a more favorable matchup for the Orange. The Knights finished 14-17 last season and lost in their conference semifinal.

Here’s everything you need to know before Syracuse (1-2, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) takes on FDU (4-0, 0-0 Northeast Conference):

All-time series

Syracuse leads 3-0.

Last time they played…

The Orange demolished the Knights 94-47 on Nov. 11, 2012. SU had five players tally double-digit points, led by Kayla Alexander’s 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks. Syracuse exploded to a 47-22 halftime lead and never looked back, holding FDU to a 29.3% shooting from the field.

The Knights report

Last season, FDU finished under .500 and lost in the NEC Semifinals to Le Moyne. The Knights had trouble scoring, as only one player averaged over double-digit points on the year — Teneisia Brown (12.6). They shot just 37.1% from the field, ranking 300th out of 360 Division I teams, according to Her Hoop Stats.

However, FDU retained all of its top players from last season and has started the year 4-0. Freshman Ava Renninger leads in points (13.8), with Brown (12.8), Lilly Parke (10.5) and Abaigeal Babore (10.3) averaging double-digits as well.

While the Knights have a mediocre .407 field goal percentage so far, it’s a major improvement from their first four games last season, when they shot under 30% in 3-of-4 contests. FDU has also knocked down 34.3% of its triples, ranking 94th in the country per Her Hoop Stats. Three players — Kailee McDonald (66.7%), Parke (46.2%) and Renninger (44.4%) — have sank more than 40% of their attempts from distance.

How Syracuse beats FDU

Syracuse needs to improve its defense. The Orange have scored over 70 points in each game this season, which Legette-Jack said used to give them the win. But on the other end, SU has allowed 84 in all three contests.

If SU wants to beat FDU, it needs to tighten up on the perimeter. Versus Saint Joseph’s, the Hawks finished 53.8% from 3, with Talya Brugler and Mackenzie Smith hitting five each. Maryland also shot lights out from distance. Though no player nabbed more than two, the Terrapins sank 8-of-16 attempts.

The Knights aren’t as good from 3 as Saint Joseph’s or UMD, but they still present a real threat. So, SU has to force the ball away from FDU’s best 3-point shooters — Renninger and Parke. If it can do that, the Knights will have to rely on different ways to score, which should be enough for Syracuse to win.

Stat to know: 5.6

On offense, turnovers have been a major problem for Syracuse. Against Niagara, it gave the ball away 30 times, its most in one game since joining the ACC. Though it only committed 21 against Saint Joseph’s and 13 versus Maryland, SU has played sloppily in all three games.

Though FDU only registered 5.6 steals per game last season, which, per Her Hoop Stats, ranked 328th in the nation. This year, the Knights are even worse, recording 12 in four games. Holding onto the ball is pivotal to the Orange’s success, which seems likely with FDU’s track record.

Player to watch: Teneisia Brown, forward, No. 20

After a strong sophomore campaign at Merrimack in 2021-22, Brown transferred to FDU but missed all of her junior season. However, the Montego Bay, Jamaica, native led FDU in points (12.6), rebounds (8.0) and steals (1.1) per game last year. She was by far its best player, as no one else averaged more than 10 points or six boards.

This season, despite Renninger leading the Knights in points, Brown has still been lethal on both ends of the court. The graduate student has notched double-digit points in three of the Knights’ first four games and has pulled down 8.5 rebounds per contest, which leads FDU by a wide margin.

Published on November 17, 2024 at 10:41 am

Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu