Click here to subscribe today or Login.
First Posted: 2/12/2013
(AP) Brianna Butler scored 16 points and Kayla Alexander had 13 points and 10 rebounds as No. 23 Syracuse pulled ahead with a 20-4 second-half run for a 69-60 win over Georgetown on Tuesday night.
In the final regular-season game between the Big East rivals, the Orange (20-3, 8-2) held Sugar Rodgers, the nation’s second-leading scorer at 23.2 points per game, to eight points on 1-of-12 shooting. Syracuse has won four straight games.
Dominique Vitalis had 15 points and Katie McCormick 14 for the Hoyas (13-11, 4-7), losers of three straight. Georgetown committed a season-high 27 turnovers.
Elashier Hall scored all 14 of her points in the second half for the Orange, who triumphed despite going more than 10 minutes without a field goal. After leading by nine in the first half, Syracuse trailed 35-27 early in the second.
We shot the ball awful tonight, but our defense was very, very good, coach Quentin Hillsman said following Syracuse’s first win at Georgetown since the 2006-07 season. We turned them over and obviously holding Sugar to eight points is everything.
Hall’s jumper ended the Orange’s drought and her 3-pointer put Syracuse ahead for good at 38-35. Syracuse shot 27.3 percent from the field, but made 24 of 33 free throws, including 7 of 8 inside the final minute.
We’re playing very smart basketball right now, Hillsman said of his surging team. That’s the game. We have to play smart basketball and keep turning teams over and we’re doing a great job getting into our press.
Rodgers missed 7 of 8 3-pointers, while Georgetown finished 4 of 26 from beyond the arc.
Before the game started, the Hoyas made two technical free throws after officials assessed Syracuse a penalty for not submitting its starting lineup on time.
McCormick left the game with 1:16 remaining after suffering a knee injury and did not return.
Associated Press