Syracuse women’s basketball opened postseason play with a victory Thursday, defeating California in the second round of the Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia. The No. 7 seed Orange improved to 23-7 overall with the win and advanced to the quarterfinal round.
Uche Izoje recorded her 14th double-double of the season with 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead Syracuse. Laila Phelia and Sophie Burrows combined for 30 points, helping the Orange secure their first ACC Tournament win since March 5, 2021. Burrows also extended her streak to 16 consecutive games with a made 3-pointer. California fell to 19-14.
Syracuse set the tone early with strong defense, jumping out to a 23-7 lead after the first quarter while forcing eight turnovers. The Orange carried that momentum into halftime, building a 37-16 advantage behind 12 first-half points from Izoje and 11 from Phelia.
California attempted to rally in the second half, cutting the deficit to 10 during the third quarter and later trimming the lead to four in the fourth. Syracuse responded each time, including back-to-back jumpers from Izoje and an and-one play following an offensive rebound that pushed the lead back to seven with under four minutes remaining.
The Orange sealed the game with strong free-throw shooting down the stretch, while their defense held California to season lows in points for both the first quarter and first half.
Syracuse advances to face No. 2 seed Louisville in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday, March 6. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Gas South Arena.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].