The women's basketball team lost to No. 24 Syracuse on Wednesday night by a score of 65-34, their sixth consecutive loss to the Orange.
The game started out as a back-and-forth affair, with neither team controlling the scoreboard. Syracuse got the scoring started with a free throw from center Kayla Alexander broke a 0-0 tie.
The Pirates (8-13, 3-5 Big East) controlled to pace defensively and forced Syracuse to miss eight of its first nine shots. The Pirates could not capitalize, as they could only grab a one-point lead over the Orange in the early going.
After redshirt sophomore guard Ka-deidre Simmons hit a jumper with 9:00 remaining in the half, the Orange shut the Pirates down, keeping them scoreless for almost five minutes.
During the period of defensive intensity, the Orange forced three turnovers and eight missed shots from the Pirates.
Sophomore guard Alexis Brown led the Pirates with 10 points on 5-10 shooting from the floor. She also grabbed seven rebounds.
Both Simmons and senior guard Brittany Morris struggled from the floor. Simmons scored seven points on 2-10 shooting. Morris, the team's leading scorer, only scored two points on 1-11 shooting.
Overall the Pirates shot 22 percent from the floor including 1-15 from deep, which is 6.7 percent.
Meanwhile, four Orange players score in double figures, and Alexander and guard Elashier Hall earned double-doubles on the night.
Syracuse controlled the boards, grabbing a 52-35 advantage. That advantage led to a 28-18 advantage in points in the paint and a 24-5 advantage on second-chance points.
The Syracuse gameplan slowed the Pirates down, something head coach Anne Donovan said does not benefit the Pirates.
"We like to run," Donovan said after the Pirates' win against Rutgers on Sunday. "We're not looking to slow the ball down until the last minute in a half."
The Orange took a 13-10 advantage on the fast break, taking the Pirates out of their game.
The Pirates will have a week off between games and next play at DePaul on Wednesday. DePaul (16-5, 5-2 Big East) boasts play of guard Anna Martin. The senior averages 16.2 points per game, which is seventh best in the conference.
DePaul is a very unselfish team, with three players in the top 10 in the conference in assists. As a team, the Blue Demons rank third in the conference with 18.3 assists per game.
T.J. Brennan can be reached at thomas.brennan@student.shu.
