University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Syracuse
Women's Basketball Falls At Syracuse, 81-76
December 10, 2005 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 10, 2005
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Dec. 10, 2005
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Kate Mills had 20 points, but a ferocious run in the final few minutes came up just short as Massachusetts (2-7) lost to Syracuse (5-3) 81-76 Saturday at the Carrier Dome. The Minutewomenn cut a 10-point deficit to two in the final three and a half minutes, but could not come out with a win. UMass had five players reach double-figures for the first time since March, 4, 2005, against Duquesne in the A-10 Tournament. Pam Rosanio added 19 points, while Tamara Tatham, Katie Nelson and Whitney McDonald had 10 points apiece.
UMass trailed by seven points, 17-10, at the 9:51 mark of the first half, but went on a 6-0 run in the next 2:12 to get back within a point. The Orange responded with a quick 7-2 run to get the lead right back to six points at 24-18 with 6:11 left in the first half. The two teams then exchanged mini-runs for the next six minutes and the Orange led 32-29 with 2:24 left. UMass with-stood the hot shooting by Syracuse's Ashley McMillen from the outside. McMillen drained three straight three-pointers, but UMass was successful by dumping the ball down low and scoring inside the paint.
The Minutewomen closed out the first half on a 9-2 run to take a 38-34 lead into halftime. The run was capped by redshirt senior Katie Nelson (Ellicott City, Md.) who hit a three-pointer from just inside the half-court line as time expired expired. Sophomore Whitney McDonald (Ossining, N.Y.) scored a career-high 10 points in the first half. UMass scored 26 of its 38 points in the paint and shot 50 percent (17-for-34) from the field. Syracuse shot 44 percent (14-for-34). UMass out-rebounded Syracuse 23-14 in the first half.
Sophomore Pam Rosanio (Southampton, Pa.) hit a shot at the beginning of the second half to give the Minutewomen a six-point lead, but Syracuse responded with an 11-3 run in the next minute and a half to take a two-point lead, 45-43. The teams exchanges baskets for the next several minutes. Four baskets in a row by sophomore Kate Mills (Elkton, Md.) gave the Minutewomen a 60-57 lead with just under 10 minutes left in regulation. A few minutes later, the Minutewomen led 64-61, but an 11-0 Syracuse run in just over two minutes gave the Orange a 72-64 lead with just under five minutes left. The Minutewomen went cold from the field all of the sudden. Following Rosanio's lay-up with 7:02 left, UMass did not score for four minutes and went down 72-64 with 3:28 left in regulation.
Down by 10 a few seconds later, redshirt senior Ashley Sharpton (Conyers, Ga.) nailed a three-pointer from the corner. Rosanio then stole the ball in the back-court and scored a lay-up to cut the SU lead in half and force it to call a timeout with 1:59 left. UMass made a stop on the Orange's next possession, but Sharpton's three-pointer from the top of the key that would have cut the UMass deficit to two points was off the mark. After a pair of Syracuse free throws, Rosanio drained a three-pointer to make it a 76-72 game with 59 seconds left. On SU's next possession, UMass came up with a steal in the back-court. Following a Minutewoman timeout, Tamara Tatham was blocked by Sipaviciute going to the basket and SU came down with the ball. Sipaviciute missed the front end of two straight one-and-one's. UMass did not cash in the first time, but Mills scored off a feed from Rosanio on the next one to make it a two-point game with 23 seconds left. SU's Jenny Eckhart made two free throws to give the Orange a four-point lead and the Minutewomen took the ball up down 78-74 with 23 seconds left in regulation.
The Minutewomen could not score and their valiant come-back attempt came up just short. SU made four free throws in the final 10 seconds to ice the game. Both teams shot 50 percent from the field. UMass was 34-for-68 while Syracuse was 31-for-62. UMass out-rebounded SU, 41-31. The difference in the game was at the free throw line. The Minutewomen were just 3-for-5, while the Orange were 14-for-19. UMass also had 18 turnovers which Syracuse turned into 22 points.
Mills tallied at least 20 points for the second time this season. She was 10-for-13 from the field and also had six rebounds and four assists. Rosanio had her 19 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field. She also added three assists. Nelson had a team-high six assists while junior Tamara Tatham (Brampton, Ontario) grabbed a team-high eight boards. UMass outscored Syracuse 52-34 in the paint.
There were eight ties and 10 lead changes in the game. Sipaviciute led all scorers with 23 points for SU. She also added seven boards. Tracy Harbut had 19 points and 12 assists. UMass finished the game with 23 assists and Syracuse had 26.
The Minutewomen are now off for nearly three weeks before heading to Georgia for the Atlanta Marriott Northwest Holiday Invitational, Dec. 30-31. The Minutewomen will face Brown in the first round on Dec. 30 at 4:00 p.m. Host-school Georgia Tech as well as Alabama State round out the four-team field.
