Syracuse women’s basketball dominated from start to finish on Sunday, rolling past Wagner 78-29 at the JMA Wireless Dome. The Orange improved to 4-0 behind a flawless outing from Laila Phelia, who went 9-for-9 combined from the field and free-throw line.
Syracuse set the tone early, holding Wagner scoreless for nearly eight minutes while building a 22-4 lead after the first quarter. Sophie Burrows and Phelia closed the frame with back-to-back threes, and the Orange defense forced repeated empty possessions. Burrows continued to fuel the offense in the second quarter with second-chance baskets and a midcourt steal that led to an easy finish. Phelia stayed perfect through the half, helping Syracuse take a 43-17 lead into the break.
The Orange kept control in the third, highlighted by Phelia’s four-point play from the corner and a sequence in which Syracuse grabbed three straight offensive boards before Maddie Potts buried a three. Later in the quarter, Olivia Schmidt made her season debut after a knee injury and immediately sank a deep three, pushing the lead to 65-21. Camdyn Nelson added a pair of threes in the fourth as Syracuse closed out the blowout, with the bench collecting every rebound in the final period.
The 29 points allowed marked the fewest in the Coach Jack era and the program’s first time holding an opponent under 30 since 2014. Fourteen of 15 Orange players scored, and newcomers Oyindamola Akinbolawa and Aurora Almon recorded their first points for Syracuse.
The Orange return to action on Friday, November 21, taking on Utah at 5 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].