Box Score
Syracuse, N.Y. - The Long Island University women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the season, falling to Syracuse, 90-36, in front of a sparse crowd at the Carrier Dome. Senior
Chelsi Johnson turned in a team-high nine points for the Blackbirds, who dropped to 2-1.
Both teams got off to a slow start and Syracuse (3-0) was especially cold at the outset, sinking just one field goal over the first eight minutes. Long Island failed to capitalize on the Orange during that span, making a pair of buckets. Two free throws by junior
Ashley Palmer put the Blackbirds ahead 5-4 and a Palmer jumper extended that advantage to 7-4.
The lead would be short-lived as Syracuse heated up from deep. After a pair of free throws by Erica Morrow, Carmen Tyson-Thomas drained back-to-back three-pointers to put Long Island in a 12-7 hole. The Blackbirds struggled with the Orange's press and ensuing zone defense, often getting into their offensive sets with single digits remaining on the shot clock. Syracuse took advantage, flustering Long Island into 15 first-half turnovers.
Up 14-9, Morrow matched Tyson-Thomas with back-to-back trifectas, extending the Orange's lead to double digits. Later, Morrow came up with a steal and went coast-to-coast for a layup pushing the Syracuse lead to 24-13. Elashier Hall then drained a trey and Tyson-Thomas followed with her third three-pointer of the half to leave Long Island looking up from a 30-13 deficit. After Shakeya Leary's putback at the buzzer, the Blackbirds trailed 45-18 at halftime.
Things did not get much better in the second half, as Syracuse attacked inside for a series of baskets. The Orange extended its advantage to over 50 points en route to the win.
The Blackbirds went 14 minutes into the second half before hitting their second field goal of the half, when freshman Desiree' Simmons came down with an offensive rebound and scored on a layup. The second-stanza cold streak was crushing for Long Island, as Simmons' basket only shaved the deficit to 76-28.
Palmer finished with a team-high 10 rebounds, as did Tyson-Thomas for the Orange, who won the battle of the boards, 43-41. Syracuse shot 46 percent for the game and was led by 16 points each from Tyson-Thomas and Morrow. Long Island shot 24 percent.
Long Island will return to action on Friday, Nov. 26, when the Blackbirds host the eighth annual installment of the Courtyard LaGuardia Turkey Classic. Long Island will take on McNeese State at 2:00 p.m.