The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Sykes leads Orange to first-round victory
Syracuse tops Iowa State, advances for rematch with UConn
STORRS, CONN.>> Brittney Sykes scored 28 points and Alexis Peterson added 25 to lead eighthseeded Syracuse to an 85-65 win over Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
Freshman Gabby Cooper added a season-high 24 points, all from 3-point range, for the Orange (22-10), who will face top-seeded UConn on Monday in a rematch of last year’s national championship game.
Seanna Johnson hit seven of her 10 shots and had 21 points for Iowa State, which finishes its season at 18-13.
Iowa State actually outscored Syracuse 57-52 over the final three quarters, but the game was decided in the first 10 minutes.
Cooper, who came in averaging just under nine points a game, opened the scoring with a 3-pointer and had five of them in the first 7 minutes as the Orange ran out to a 17-3 lead.
She finished the game with eight baskets from behind the arc on 15 attempts.
The Cyclones, who shot 38 percent for the game, made just two of their first 18 shots.
They trailed 33-8 after a quarter, by as many as 29 points in the second quarter and 45-24 at halftime.
Cooper’s seventh 3-pointer of the game sent the Orange into the fourth quarter leading by 20 points and the Cyclones failed to make a fourthquarter run.
Syracusemade 15 of 29 shots from long distance. Sykes was
4 of 6 from behind the arc.
They also converted 18 Iowa State turnovers into 19 points.
BIG PICTURE
Iowa State was making its 17th NCAA tournament appearance and 10th in the last 11 years. They are 8-10 over that stretch and haven’t won a tournament game since beating Gonzaga as aNo. 5 seed in 2013.
Syracuse is its fifth straight NCAA tournament their ninth overall and has now evened its NCAA Tournament record at 8-8. The Orange have advanced to the second round in each of past four years.
UP NEXT
Syracuse will seek a bit of payback for last season’s 82-51 loss in the title game.