Only 3.2 seconds was left in the first half. Everyone’s gaze was fixated on the clock as Syracuse and Maryland-Eastern players tussled at the ball as yells of “we want tacos” echoed throughout the Dome. The Lady Hawks came up with the ball but time expired before they could get a shot off.
The buzzer sounded. No tacos. But it was only the halftime buzzer.
But 13 seconds into the second half, the Syracuse women’s basketball team made a layup to mark the earliest taco time in Carrier Dome history.
History was the name of the game for Syracuse Wednesday night in the Carrier Dome. The Orange (4-0) cruised to a 113-42 victory over the Lady Hawks (1-3), scoring the most points in program history; A record head coach Quentin Hillsman didn’t realize the Orange surpassed.
“I had no idea what the record was,” Hillsman said. “It was point I looked up at the scoreboard and I didn’t realize the margin was so wide. It was just one of those things where we got it clicking.”
Hillsman said he hoped the team’s defense and offense would mesh for another solid half after leading by 49 in the first. After rotating out the starting five for the bench in the first two minutes of the second half, the effort was just the same: the team scored 56 points in the second half.
The balanced scoring and fast pace helped the distribution of the ball for the Orange. Out of the 15 players on Syracuse’s roster, 13 scored and three scored in the double digits.
“I was happy,” Hillsman said. “We did what we had to do offensively and defensively to have clean game of basketball.”
On the boards the Orange snagged 60 rebounds and pressed for 31 Lady Hawk turnovers. Many of those points coming in transition for sophomore guard Brianna Butler [10].
“When I caught the ball the first time I was in rhythm,” Butler said. “When I saw the ball go in it definitely got my confidence up and I was feeling it.”
After a slow start to the season Butler, she came in and hit four three-pointers after being in the game for only 12 minutes. Butler ended shooting 7-for-11 from behind the arc and 8-of 12 overall. She finished with a career-high 23 points and four steals.
Butler and Brittney Sykes [11]combined for 42 points, Sykes recording 19 of her own, four assists, and seven rebounds to help the Orange trump the Lady Hawks.
“To combine for 42 is a great feeling to know that our teammates trust us with the ball,” Sykes said
Coming into the season Butler and Sykes were aware of the role they had to take on and for 38 minutes of play Hillsman thinks the duo delivered in Syracuse’s historic win.
