Marquette University Athletics
Marquette University
Syracuse
Jones, Michael Lead Syracuse Past MU, 66-55
1/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 27, 2009
MILWAUKEE -- Chandrea Jones and Nicole Michael combined to score 40 points as Syracuse prevailed 66-55 over Marquette University in BIG EAST Conference women's basketball action Tuesday night from the Al McGuire Center.
Michael had the hot hand early, scoring the game's first three baskets as the Orange raced out to a 7-0 lead. She went on to tally 14 of her 18 points in the first half, while Jones took over in the second half by pouring in 16 of her game-high 22 points in the final 20 minutes.
Syracuse (14-6, 3-4 BIG EAST) began the game on an 11-1 run led by Michael, who scored nine points during the stretch. Meanwhile, Marquette (12-8, 3-3 BIG EAST) started off sluggish, missing 13 of its first 15 shots from the field. The Golden Eagles' first field goal didn't come until nearly six minutes into the contest when Erin Monfre buried a 3-pointer at the 14:07 mark.
Marissa Thrower provided MU with a much-needed spark coming off of the bench to connect on back-to-back jumpers to pull Marquette within three at 13-10. The Orange extended their lead back to 27-19, however, on basket by Michael with 4:26 remaining in the half.
The Golden Eagles eventually found their shooting touch and were able to use a 12-4 run to end the half, capped by a Tatiyiana McMorris 3-pointer with six seconds remaining to pull within one at 32-31.
With seemingly nothing else to rely on, Marquette continued to use its momentum to stay in the game as the first 10 minutes following intermission saw eight lead changes and three ties. MU's first lead of the contest came on its very first possession of the second half on an offensive rebound and putback by Jessica Pachko.
Pachko notched all of her team-high 11 points in the second half.
Play was stopped at the 16:45 mark during a scary moment when Syracuse's Erica Morrow dropped to the floor, trying desperately to catch her breath. A stunned crowd watched as team personnel rushed to Morrow's aid. Morrow allegedly had the wind knocked out of her, but was able to walk off the court on her own, and would later return to the game.
Shooting woes continued to haunt the Golden Eagles moving forward. MU, which shot 36.2 percent from the floor and was 9-of-17 from the foul line, went 0-of-11 from 3-point range in the second half.
McMorris, who moments earlier knocked down a running jumper as the shot clock expired, hit another clutch shot with 9:23 left to knot the score at 47-47. But Marquette would only get two more field goals down the stretch.
Syracuse, using full-court pressure much of the game, held Krystal Ellis and Angel Robinson to nine and seven points, respectively, as the Marquette duo combined to shoot just 6-of-23 (26.1 percent) from the floor.
Marquette will return to action Jan. 30 at Pittsburgh.
