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Kiara Lewis forced her opponent left from the top of the key and stole the ball with her left hand. She gathered and pushed to Tiana Mangakahia, and one bounce pass to Digna Strautmane bumped SU’s lead to 61-53 just seconds before the third-quarter horn.

Lewis’ third steal of the game further subdued a 3-0 Lady Lions’ offense that had a lead as high as 12 in the first half on Sunday. The redshirt senior would add two more takeaways while playing the final 10 minutes, ensuring SU’s lead never dipped below four points.

Behind the defensive play of Lewis and fellow senior Strautmane (three steals, four blocks), No. 22 Syracuse (3-0) prevailed 82-72 over Penn State (3-1). The Orange forced 24 turnovers, including six in the final four minutes of the first half that propelled the Orange on a 15-0 run to close the half with a 33-32 lead they wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the game. Five players registered steals for SU, including junior Emily Engstler, who made her first appearance since March.

“I wasn’t making shots in the first half, at least 3s,” Lewis said. “I tried to get it another way and help my team, and that was by getting steals.”

Lewis wasn’t alone in her offensive struggles early. The Orange shot just 28.6% in the first half, compiling a mere two 3-pointers on 17 attempts. This led to long rebounds for the Lady Lions and a plethora of open looks in transition. More importantly, it prevented the Orange from setting up its usual 1-2-2 full-court pressure.

The Lady Lions capitalized, stretching their lead to 32-18 with just over four minutes to play in the first half. Without fans in the Carrier Dome, the energy of Penn State’s bench echoed throughout the venue and dominated the background of the telecast following each of its six first-half 3-pointers. Each one was more open than the last as Syracuse struggled to rotate and get stops.

“Penn State did a really good job of coming out and attacking us,” head coach Quentin Hillsman said. “They came out ready to play.”

But that all changed on Penn State’s ensuing possession. Redshirt junior Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi had just converted both of her free throws, giving the Orange a chance to press. This time, SU beat the Lady Lions down the floor and was able to collapse into its half-court zone defense. No missed rotation occurred, and no open look manifested. Djaldi-Tabdi blocked a jumper to cap SU’s first convincing defensive possession with a shot-clock violation.

With each consecutive Syracuse make, the pressure became suffocating. Following a made free throw by Strautmane, Lewis jumped the ensuing inbound pass for an easy layup. When the Lady Lions tried to bypass Lewis and go over the press, Strautmane picked off the pass. The ball cycled its way back to her on the other end for an open 3-pointer. Mangakahia then intercepted, got a steal and took it herself, dissolving Penn State’s lead to one. Strautmane added another, as well as a block on the final shot of the half once SU gained its first lead of the game.

Kiara Lewis recorded five steals against Penn State, the second-most of her career. Courtesy of Dennis Nett | Syracuse.com

Defense kept the Orange ahead the entire second half. Though SU forced four fewer turnovers, seemingly every shot was contested. Strautmane and freshman Kamilla Cardoso registered a block each, and Strautmane stole a pass in the lane as well.

The Lady Lions didn’t make another 3-pointer until 58 seconds were left in the third quarter, but the Orange answered with a layup and Lewis’ steal at the end to squash any momentum shift.

“She can win a game for us, and obviously she proved that today,” Hillsman said of Lewis. “That’s what she means to us.”

Lewis finished one shy of her career-high with five steals to go along with a team-leading 26 points. Penn State made one last push in the fourth quarter, hitting five-of-six shots at one point and bringing a 14-point Syracuse lead down to four. The open looks and the raucous bench celebrations returned.

But SU’s veterans met the challenge a final time. Djaldi-Tabdi’s layup let Syracuse set up pressure. Mangakahia kept in front of her opponent and forced a travel. Lewis notched her final takeaway to put the Lady Lions away and secure SU’s third-consecutive win to start the season.

“If we can get 25 (wins) like that in the ACC Tournament,” Hillsman said, “I’ll take 25, just like that.”

Published on December 6, 2020 at 7:02 pm

Contact Tim: tnolan@syr.edu