Women's basketball lose first home game despite Mangakahia owning assist record

A personal achievement was the highlight of a rare home loss for the Syracuse women's basketball team, who lost 73-64 to Virginia Tech.

Tiana Mangakahia, a sophomore from Meadowbrook, Australia, recorded 13 assists in the loss. Her season total is now at 234, which eclipsed 231 previously set by Alexis Peterson. 

The two teams started the game off neck and neck. After the first quarter, Syracuse held a slim 12-10 lead. Neither team had scored a three-point attempt in the first quarter, with both the Orange and Hokies shooting 0-7 from beyond the arc.

Photo: Riley Bunch

The SU Women's basketball team faced Vermont this past weekend in the Syracuse Carrier Dome.

Virginia Tech grabbed its first lead midway through the second quarter, and from there it went back and forth. Three-point shots began to drop for both teams. SU finished the quarter with a 7-0 and the half ended with both teams at 28. The Orange found success through freshman forward Digna Strautmane inside, who had 13 of the 28 Syracuse points.

The Orange continued to score in the third quarter, however a 10-0 run for the Hokies increased its lead to 38-33. From there, they held off any potential Syracuse comeback.

Syracuse play its next game on Feb. 4 against Louisville. The game starts at 1 p.m.