Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. 
Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

Syracuse’s season began with Emily Engstler claiming that the Orange should be ranked in the top five rather than at a “disrespectful” No. 23.  The Orange (15-9, 9-7 Atlantic Coast) proceeded to muddle through an underwhelming season, ending with a 83-47 thrashing from Connecticut in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 

ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme said in the preseason that he expected the Orange to finish as the third-best team in the ACC and enter March Madness as a No. 5 or No. 6 seed. But several players struggled throughout the course of the season, including point guard Tiana Mangakahia, who returned to form after missing the prior season due to breast cancer. 

Fellow veteran guard Kiara Lewis led Syracuse in scoring, averaging 14 points per game, but her efficiency was the least it has been in her three years at Syracuse. While Lewis shouldered the offensive pressure without Mangakahia last season, Lewis shot a paltry 33.2% from the field and 23.3% from 3 with SU’s star point guard back.

Here are the numbers that defined the Orange’s season:

Late-season stumbles

Throughout the season, the Orange ranked sixth in the ACC in points per game, averaging nearly 72 points per game. But since Feb. 11, SU scored over 70 points just twice in its final nine games. The first was a victory over an outmatched Boston College squad in the second-to-last regular season game. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Syracuse finished with 72 points against South Dakota State. 

In both of those victories, senior forward Digna Strautmane scored in double digits. But throughout the season, Strautmane was inconsistent, scoring 10 or more points just seven times. 

But in Syracuse’s wins against BC and SDSU, the Orange swung passes at a higher rate than usual and found open shooters. That led to higher assists than average, as the Orange excelled in getting the full rotation involved.

In most of the late-season performances, Syracuse was reluctant to pass, with players opting to play isolation ball and create their own shot opportunities. In the final two losses, against Louisville and UConn, Syracuse finished with 17 combined assists — a paltry showing considering SU averaged almost 15 dishes per game.

Change in strategy 

Syracuse had the tallest player in the ACC in Kamilla Cardoso and shot 30.4% from 3,  but head coach Quentin Hillsman didn’t shift away from his usual strategy of deep shots. Hillsman often said his team needed to hit its 3s to win. The problem sometimes was that they weren’t shooting enough triples, he said.

But the Orange shot 3s at the second-lowest rate since 2016-17. Syracuse attempted less than 24 triples per game — nearly six less than the 2015-16 season, when the Orange attempted over 43% of their shots from behind the arc. 

Shannon Kirkpatrick | Presentation Director

As the year progressed, Syracuse looked more and more to the paint, often feeding Cardoso at the beginning of the shot clock. Once catching the ball, the 6-foot-7 post backed her defender down before turning and shooting. Cardoso’s interior aggressiveness, along with the presence of Engstler, allowed Syracuse to shoot 41.1% from the field, its second-highest percentage in eight years. 

On to other opportunities

Over the past week, seven Syracuse players have entered the transfer portal. Starters Strautmane and Lewis were joined by Engstler, Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi, Amaya Finklea-Guity, Taleah Washington and Faith Blackstone. 

Lewis averaged almost five more minutes on the floor than any other player, generally sitting for less than three minutes per game. While she was inefficient throughout the season, Lewis was Syracuse’s go-to scorer, as Hillsman often ran set plays for the guard when SU needed a basket. 

Strautmane took the second-most 3s of any Orange player and allowed Syracuse to stretch the floor while playing a bigger lineup than virtually every opponent. With the 6-foot-2 forward on the wing, Syracuse could space out shooters and open up the interior offense. SU finished in the 70th percentile of offenses, scoring 96 points per 100 possessions.

While Syracuse could lose two starters to the portal, the biggest potential transfer loss may be Engstler, who led Syracuse in rebounding and pulled down 9.1 boards per game. 

The forward scored in double digits in Syracuse’s last four games, including a season-high 21 points against Louisville in the ACC Tournament semifinals.

Despite serving as the fourth-best scorer on the roster and a pivotal scoring option in the postseason, Engstler’s biggest contributions came on the glass and on defense. The junior ranked in the 98th percentile nationally in defensive rebounding and total rebounding. She was also in the 93rd percentile of steals, averaging 1.8 per game. Despite starting just five games, she was in the 97th percentile across college basketball, with 1.6 blocks per game.

The only statistics that Engstler was below average in was two-point shooting percentage, free throw percentage, personal fouls and turnovers, according to Her Hoop Stats. 

Digna Strautmane only recorded double-digit point totals seven times this season. She entered the transfer portal on Monday. Courtesy of Ben Solomon | NCAA Photos

Early debut in elite club

While Syracuse struggled to convert on 3-pointers, Hillsman began running offenses that attack the interior due to Cardoso’s elite skill set. SU’s star freshman was second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.6 points despite playing just 23.5 minutes per game. 

When Cardoso would miss a shot, she often easily grabbed the offensive rebound over the outstretched hands of the defenders. That height advantage allowed Cardoso to continue to grab her misses until she eventually made the shot or was sent to the foul line. 

Cardoso’s 56.3% two-point percentage ranked in the 94th percentile in the country, per Her Hoop Stats, and her 56.1% shooting was in the 98th percentile. While Cardoso was rarely aggressive in attacking the glass for rebounds, she still grabbed eight per game. The freshman’s 3.4 offensive rebounds were in the 99th percentile, while her total rebounding average was also elite.

Despite Cardoso’s continued development in both her shot selection and rebounding, she was best on defense. At 6-foot-7, Cardoso individually prevented guards from driving into the post for a layup. She also used her wingspan to jump out and contest mid-range jumpers, making it extremely difficult for opponents to score inside the arc. Eventually, Cardoso finished with more blocked shots than five ACC teams, ranking in the 99th percentile with 2.5 blocks per game. 

Plagued by turnovers

No matter the score or the time left in the game, Syracuse almost always pushed the offensive pace. Whether off of inbound passes or defensive rebound outlets, Mangakahia located the ball and immediately sprinted down court while the opposing defense hurried into position. The goal was to either find an opening to the basket for a layup or find an open shooter on the wing for a quick 3. 

Syracuse was plagued with ball insecurity this season, averaging its most turnovers per game in nine seasons. In SU’s last two losses, it finished with 33 collective turnovers, in line with its season average of 16.4 per game. 

As Mangakahia returned to the floor this season, she struggled at times to keep possession, finishing with 95 turnovers. Her 4.8 turnovers per game was the second-highest rate of her career and fell in the 0 percentile of NCAA players. Granted, Mangakahia was relied on to control the entire offense, as Hillsman used his point guard to create shots for herself and teammates. 

Still, Syracuse’s turnovers could lead to offensive dysfunction, as the quick-tempo Orange could quickly fall behind. When 3s weren’t falling and turnovers were abundant, Syracuse struggled, no matter the opponent. 

Published on March 29, 2021 at 11:39 pm

Contact Thomas: tgshults@syr.edu | @ThomasShults_