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In Syracuse’s last game, a 28-point victory over Yale, it succeeded in numerous ways. The Orange outscored the Bulldogs 48-22 in points in the paint, had 10 different scorers and Izabel Varejão recorded her first-career double-double.

But underneath all the success, Sophie Burrows made just one shot from the field for the second straight game. Against Texas A&M, things got even worse for SU’s third-leading scorer. Burrows shot 0-of-9 against the Aggies.

In the wake of Burrows’ struggles, freshman Keira Scott lifted the Orange to a halftime lead with 10 first-half points. Though just over a minute into the second half, the Aggies snatched the lead for good.

Syracuse (4-5, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) was outscored by 14 in the second half and despite a late push, it fell 57-45 to Texas A&M (5-4, 0-0 Southeastern) in the SEC/ACC Challenge. Along with Burrows, leading scorer Georgia Woolley finished 3-of-17 as the Orange shot a season-low 27.4% from the field.

“You got two great shooters, and it’s okay if one of them is off, but when they both go 0-for-9 and 3-for-17, it’s going to be a long day,” SU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said. “I’ve just never been a part of a team where every shooter couldn’t score.”

To make matters worse, Varejão didn’t play for the final three quarters as SU scored its fewest points of the season.

Before the second half unraveled, the Orange got off to a strong start. Woolley scored from mid-range to jumpstart SU’s offense, and Scott went on a personal 5-0 run. Just over two minutes into the first quarter, Scott drained a 3-pointer. Then, after an Orange rebound, Woolley found Scott on a fast break to take an early 7-0 lead.

Texas A&M converted its first basket at the five-minute mark, but Scott matched it immediately, starting 3-of-3 in just her second start of the season. As SU led 9-4, Angelica Velez got her revenge after being blocked early on, spinning through the Aggies’ defense before dropping off a slick pass to Varejão for a quick deuce.

Similar to the final minute of the first quarter against Yale, Kyra Wood got hot late in the first frame. Journey Thompson found Wood on the block for a layup, and then Wood cleaned up an SU missed shot for 2 more points. As the Orange looked to pull away, TAMU’s Taliyah Parker netted a 3 to cut SU’s lead to 15-10 at the end of the quarter.

After scoring five points early in the second quarter, SU’s shooting went cold, missing the mark on five consecutive shots. The Aggies used the Orange’s drought to climb back into the game, using a 7-0 run of their own to trail 20-18.

Syracuse needed a bucket and Scott delivered by collecting a pass on the post and hitting a turnaround jumper. Woolley soon followed with a 3, but SU only scored one more point in the final three minutes of the half. Meanwhile, Texas A&M finished the second quarter on a 4-0 run as Syracuse took a 26-24 lead into halftime.

The Aggies continued their strong play into the third quarter, scoring the first six points to put the Orange down 30-26. Trailing for the first time in the contest, SU continued to struggle on offense. On a fast break, Woolley threw the ball ahead to Olivia Schmitt, but it sailed through the freshman’s hands for SU’s third turnover of the quarter.

Trailing by three points, Syracuse worked the ball to Burrows on the perimeter, but she couldn’t hit the 3-pointer, which marked her seventh miss of the game. Legette-Jack immediately subbed her out.

“She was hoping to make shots, she didn’t have a dagger in her eyes,” Legette-Jack said.

Without Burrows’ scoring contribution and the absence of Varejão, Texas A&M took advantage. The Aggies grew their lead to 37-31 by attacking the paint as Parker converted a floater, and Janae Kent got into SU’s lane before finishing an and-1.

The Orange responded with a 4-0 run, but Parker heaved a pass ahead for Aicha Coulibaly to stretch the Aggies’ lead back to six. TAMU won the rebounding battle in the third quarter, propelling it to outscore the Orange 21-11 in the quarter and take a 45-37 lead into the fourth.

After shooting 60% in the third, the Aggies missed their first three shots and committed two turnovers early in the fourth. During Texas A&M’s offensive lapse, the Orange went on a 6-0 run to pull within two points.

With four minutes left, Syracuse moved within striking distance but failed to convert open shots. Scott was off the mark on a triple from the corner before Woolley missed from point-blank range.

SU was setting itself up for success but just wasn’t converting. The Orange’s late misses highlighted the issues that plagued them throughout the contest. Over the final four minutes, Syracuse went scoreless, while Texas A&M closed the game on a 10-0 run, leading to SU’s fifth defeat of the season.

“There’s got to be something good about that when you take the shots you’re supposed to take,” Legette-Jack said. “Now, you got to make the shots you’re supposed to make.”

Published on December 4, 2024 at 9:27 pm

Contact Timmy at: tswilcox@syr.edu | @TimmyWilcox32