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Syracuse was selected as a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament after winning its first two games of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament before falling to top-seeded Louisville in the semifinals. SU (14-8, 9-7 ACC) faces South Dakota State (21-3, 14-0 Summit League) on Sunday, two years after the same opponent bounced the Orange from the tournament in the second round.

While both teams’ rosters have changed from two seasons ago, Syracuse is still led by point guard Tiana Mangakahia, who hasn’t forgotten the Jackrabbits’ victory a couple of seasons ago.

“When I saw South Dakota State, I was like ‘Yes.’ I was super motivated,” Mangakahia said after the Selection Show. “I feel like we should have won two years ago.”

Here’s what to know before Sunday’s matchup:

All-time series

South Dakota State leads 1-0

Last time they played

The last and only time they played was March 25, 2019, when the Jackrabbits defeated the Orange 75-64 in the Round of 32. After swatting away Fordham in the first round, No. 3 seed Syracuse seemed to be on the verge of a Sweet 16 showdown with No. 2 seed Oregon in a rematch of an early-season, 75-73 loss to the Ducks. 

Instead, Madison Guebert and Myah Selland combined for 37 points for SDSU. Mangakahia scored 18 points for the Orange but shot just 6-of-18 from the field. Miranda Drummond and Kiara Lewis were the only other SU players to score in double-digits.

As a team, Syracuse shot 5-of-21 from behind the arc. Drummond and Gabrielle Cooper combined to shoot a paltry 3-of-15 from distance. 

The South Dakota State report

The Jackrabbits will be without their top scorer — Selland — who has averaged 19.2 points per game. The redshirt junior likely suffered a season-ending injury on Feb. 19 in a victory over North Dakota State. Without Selland, Syracuse’s zone can turn its attention to senior Tylee Irwin. 

While Irwin is averaging 13.3 points, she has taken on a much larger role with Selland sidelined. In the Jackrabbits’ first game without their top scorer, Irwin poured on a career-high 31 points, shooting 11-of-15 from the field. The guard can also expand Syracuse’s zone, forcing Lewis and Mangakahia further out into the perimeter to defend. Irwin finished as one of the best shooters in the Summit League, sinking 40.2% of her 3’s.

While the Jackrabbits shoot the third-best percentage in their conference from behind the arc, their 3-point defense is even better. Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman consistently urges his players to shoot more 3’s, but the Orange may find difficulty securing open looks against SDSU, which has held opponents to a measly 29% from distance.

This is the 15th 20-win season in the past 17 years for SDSU, who enters the tournament ranked 32nd in NET Rankings. 

How Syracuse defeats South Dakota State

Rather than shoot from the perimeter, SU needs to attack inside-out, utilizing Cardoso’s 6-foot-7 frame — South Dakota State doesn’t have a player taller than 6-foot-2. SDSU’s top rebounder was Selland, who averaged almost seven rebounds. Without her, Kamilla Cardoso should attack the glass for easy put-back layups. 

Cardoso finished second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.7 points. The ACC Freshman of the Year was the Orange’s most efficient scorer, however, converting on 58.3% of her shot attempts. Often, if her first shot didn’t fall, Cardoso grabbed the offensive rebound and tried again. 

And on defense, Cardoso should prove difficult to score over. She blocked more shots individually than three ACC teams did as a squad. Individually, Cardoso could alter how the game is played by forcing SDSU to shoot from the perimeter instead of driving into the paint.

Stat to know: 60.3 

SDSU allows 60.3 average points per game, a better rate than every ACC team that played a full schedule. While the Jackrabbits force 13.5 turnovers per game, they limits opponents mainly based on poor shooting rates. SDSU isn’t very tall on the low blocks but uses lengthy wing defenders to contest long-range shots, which SU is certain to shoot. 

Heaving those long, contested shots could force Syracuse into an early deficit. SU has struggled against the best defenses in the ACC this season, losing to the top-six defensive teams. 

Player to watch: Paiton Burckhard, forward, No. 33

Outside of Irwin, Burckhard is currently the primary scorer for South Dakota State. Burckhard is averaging nearly 13 points per game while shooting over 50% from the field. While most of the forward’s shots come from inside the arc, Burckhard sinks 3 at a 33% clip. The junior’s also the second best rebounder on the team — behind only Selland. Although she’s only grabbing 5.6 rebounds, she will be one of Cardoso’s primary challengers in the paint. 

Two games ago, Burckhard scored a season-high 24 points against Kansas City. The forward converted on eight baskets, while converting 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. On the season, Burckhard is shooting 80.8% from the charity stripe.

Published on March 19, 2021 at 10:06 am

Contact Thomas: tgshults@syr.edu | @ThomasShults_