Syracuse vs #14 North Carolina Preview

The Tar Heels are the first of three straight ranked opponents for the Orange.

Syracuse Women’s basketball will host No. 14 North Carolina with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. inside of what will be a pink-themed JMA Wireless Dome.

The Orange and crowd will be wearing pink in honor of Play4Kay, North Carolina State’s former head coach Kay Yow’s fund that celebrates cancer survivors.

The Tar Heels will be the first of three-straight top-25 ranked opponents that the Orange are set to face.

“You know, usually they say big forwards can't be fast, and they forgot to tell North Carolina when they recruited those kids,” Head Coach Felisha Legette-Jack said.

Last Sunday, Syracuse defeated Boston College 79-72 where Dyasia Fair scored 24 points to surpass her own 2,500th career point mark. Georgia Woolley had 20 points of her own, and Dariaun Lewis scored 15 to round out the Orange’s double-figure performances.

While North Carolina’s eight-game winning streak was snapped by Louisville in a 62-55 loss. Three players reached double figures for the Tar Heels: Deja Kelly led the way with 13 points, Paulina Paris had 12 in playing all 40 minutes for the first time in her career, and Anya Poole finished with 10 for her second double-figure game in a row and in conference play. They were without two key contributors: Alyssa Ustby and Eva Hodgson.

Ustby was ruled out on Sunday with a lower body injury. She had started 71 games in a row for the Tar Heels and missed a game for the first time in her career. In the ACC, she ranks fourth in rebounding and 11th in scoring.

Hodgson missed her fourth game in a row after having started the first 19 of the season.

The Orange are experiencing injuries as well, but it’s forced other members of the team to step up, according to Georgia Woolley.

Kennedi Perkins is a player that has been called to the court because of it.

“It's gonna be hard for other people to get minutes from her because she has proven that she belongs out there,” Head Coach Felisha Legette-Jack said.

The last time these two sides met was last year and the Tar Heels came out on top in a convincing 79-43 win. Only seven players were available for the Orange because of COVID-19 health and safety precautions, among those were Teisha Hyman, who led the Orange with 11 points, and Alaina Rice, who got her first start in the Syracuse orange and blue.

Syracuse has won three of the last five meetings over North Carolina, and is 4-0 all-time at home. A win for the Orange would give them their seventh in the ACC and 17th overall win of the season. It would also be the first top-25 win under Felisha Legette-Jack.