Syracuse Rallies for Senior Day Victory Over Pittsburgh

The Orange women's basketball team knocked off the Panthers for the 26th straight time.

Senior Day brought all sorts of emotional highs and lows for No. 17 Syracuse women’s basketball. Despite facing a double-digit deficit late in the third quarter, the Orange still emerged with a 63-53 win over Pitt. It was Syracuse's 26th straight win over the Panthers. 

Pitt controlled a majority of the game, holding Syracuse to just 26.7% shooting during the first half. The Orange struggled to rebound the ball, losing second-chance opportunities on multiple occasions. Another thorn in their side was Pitt’s Liatu King, who led all scorers with 29 points and snatched ten rebounds.

But then “Fourth Quarter Fair” arrived. Dyaisha Fair turned on the jets, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter alone to get her team back in front. Fair finished the day with 23 points and 4 assists. That combined with a 14-point day from Georgia Woolley, 9 rebounds from Kyra Wood, and three crucial 3-pointers from Sophie Burrows proved too much for Pitt to handle in the end.

Fair made history earlier in the matchup as well, passing Brittney Griner for 5th on the all-time career scoring list. She now has 3,302 points, trailing just Jackie Stiles, Kelsey Mitchel, Kelsey Plum, and current Iowa star Caitlin Clark on the list. Fair can move into the top 3 all time with 100 more points, depending on the postseason.

Fair appeared visibly emotional after the game, sharing a long embrace with Coach Legette-Jack during her Senior Day ceremony. Those emotions carried over to the press conference, where she expressed her gratitude for her coach and the program.

“To get here and be apart of the culture Coach Jack instills in her players, I’ve realized there’s always another side,” Fair said through tears. “She was kind of the only one who believed in me. She trusted me to get where I am now, not just on the court but as a person.”

Alaina Rice, Izabel Varejão, Dominique Camp, and Cheyenne McEvans were honored alongside Fair during the Senior Day ceremony. While no decision has been made yet, Varejão, Camp, and McEvans could return next season with additional eligibility.

The win today represented the way Coach Legette-Jack sees her team.

“These ladies are winners,” she said. “They stayed, they did the work. I don’t need the score to tell my players that they’re better than somebody else... they’re in our family. The better family.”

Syracuse moves to 23-5 and ends the regular season 14-2 at home. Sunday's win improves their chances of hosting an NCAA tournament game in the Dome, with Louisville falling to Virginia earlier today.