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Syracuse guard Kiara Lewis dribbled at the top of the key, waiting for screener Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi to wedge herself to the side of NC State guard Raina Perez. When the center was in position, Lewis drove left. With Perez still defending, SU’s guard crossed over her dribble, forcing the off-balance Perez to stumble.

Then the senior reversed course back to the top of the key, took a step back 3, and with no defender around to contest, connected. Her make gave the Orange an early first quarter lead.

In a game with 19 lead changes, Lewis poured on a season-high 29 points, shooting 12-of-23 from the field as Tiana Mangakahia had a quiet afternoon. But eventually, Syracuse (12-7, 9-7 Atlantic Coast) couldn’t keep up with No. 2 NC State (17-2, 12-2), losing 68-61. After leading 58-55 with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Syracuse couldn’t hold on, finishing just 4-of-24 from 3. As Syracuse failed to convert on chances, NC State regrouped behind 17 points from Elissa Cunane, spoiling Syracuse’s senior day. 

“(NC State) did a really good job of taking our inside play away,” head coach Quentin Hillsman said. “If it wasn’t for (Lewis) tonight, we would have lost this game by 20 plus points.”

Syracuse entered Sunday’s matchup still searching for a win over a top-3 ACC team, and looking to lock up a top-four seed in the ACC tournament. A win would have secured a double-bye, but Syracuse’s loss — paired with Florida State’s win — means the Orange now have just a first-round bye. 

According to ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme, SU’s game against NC State could serve as a barometer for how far Syracuse could advance in the NCAA tournament. Currently projected as a No. 8 seed, Syracuse could face a top-seeded team — like the Wolfpack — in the second round of March Madness. Defeating NC State could’ve proved that Syracuse’s ceiling could realistically expand beyond the second game of the NCAA tournament, where Creme currently projects Syracuse’s season to end.

Instead, the Orange hung around against the nation’s best team until the dying minutes, losing by seven. In the third quarter, Syracuse responded to NC State’s 15-2 run and retook a 58-55 lead late in the fourth quarter after an Emily Engstler layup, and Lewis’ pull-up jumper. 

But soon after, the Wolfpack responded, and finished the game on an 11-3 run. After breaking through Syracuse’s full-court press, NC State passed inside to Cunane. She turned toward the basket and released a hook shot. 

Cunane’s shot bounced off the glass and in, giving NC State a one-point lead. From there, the Wolfpack led and Syracuse was forced to foul and send NC State players to the free throw line. Perez sank six straight free throws and iced the game.

“Down the stretch we’re trying to get steals and we’re fouling trying to get the ball back and get possessions, and they did a fantastic job of making free throws,” Hillsman said. “They were 19-21 from the foul line. That’s what good teams do. They go to the foul line and they close games out.”

While Syracuse couldn’t close out a win on Sunday, the team struggled to score, outside of Lewis. After Engstler grabbed an offensive rebound and missed a layup in the second quarter, Kamilla Cardoso snatched another offensive board. Then Lewis swooped in, grabbing the ball from her teammate, resetting the offense.

After dribbling near the logo, Lewis barrelled down the right lane, cutting between multiple Wolfpack defenders. Once the redshirt senior reached the low block, she lept past Cunane, with a layup that cut NC State’s lead to one.

A couple of possessions later, Lewis again relied on her dribble penetration. After weaving past her defenders, Cunane and forward Kayla Jones stepped out of the paint to defend. Lewis crossed Jones over, before an up-and-under layup fooled Cunane into jumping the wrong way. 

“I just took my time,” Lewis said. “I just took what the defense gave me.”

In the second half, NC State continued to allow Lewis room to shoot, but switched its offensive strategy. After scoring 30 first half points, the Wolfpack reverted to attacking the paint — one of the reasons it averages almost 80 points per game.

As soon as Wolfpack guards crossed half-court, they looked to pass to Cunane. Once the Wolfpack center caught the pass, she swiveled and faced up with Cardoso. More often than not, these possessions ended in layups or foul shots, as NC State sprung out to a 51-38 lead by the end of the third quarter. 

After NC State went on a 15-2 third quarter run, Syracuse scored eight of the first 10 points in the fourth to retake the lead. Hillsman implemented a full-court press as NC State tried to inbound. 

“Get up!” Hillsman yelled at his guards. “Come on hurry up!” 

As Perez tried to weave around Mangakahia, she ran into Lewis. With a half-court violation ensuing, NC State head coach Wes Moore grimly shook his head and called a timeout.

After play restarted, NC State tried a different strategy to inbound, by throwing all the way down court to a vacant Syracuse basket. That pass was too long for Jones and Lewis calmly took possession for a contested layup, cutting NC State’s lead to 53-51. The press led to a Lewis triple on the next play, putting SU up 54-53, too.

But Syracuse’s glimmer of hope was quickly snatched away by the Wolfpack.

“Hold them here,” Moore yelled.

Kamilla Cardoso had 10 rebounds but scored only three points in the Orange’s loss to No. 2 NC State. Courtesy of Rich Barnes | USA Today Sports

Leading 58-57, Syracuse inbounded the basketball, and passed to Djaldi-Tabdi at the top of the key. As soon as the redshirt junior caught the ball, she was swarmed by Jada Boyd, who ripped the ball out of Djaldi-Tabdi’s grasp. With 2:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, NC State passed inside to Cunane after SU’s turnover. Cunane grabbed the bounce pass and swept the ball past Djaldi-Tabdi. After finding dribbling room, Cunane lept for a right-handed layup.

As her shot trickled into the basket, Djaldi-Tabdi swatted Cunane’s arm, sending the center to the line. Cunane then knocked down her seventh free throw of the game, giving NC State a 60-58 lead. 

“Cunane made five shots, and she lived on the foul line,” Hillsman said. 

While Hillsman continued to put the ball in Lewis’ hands, Syracuse couldn’t score in its final possessions. Instead, NC State continued to knock down its free throws, overcoming a late Syracuse lead.

“This is just one of those games where you’re disappointed because you had an opportunity to beat a really good team on your home floor,” Hillsman said. “And we just didn’t get it done.”

Published on February 28, 2021 at 2:27 pm

Contact Thomas: tgshults@syr.edu | @ThomasShults_