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Emily Engstler reluctantly sauntered to the Georgia Tech baseline. The player who’s dedicated time from each of her two interviews this season to state that Syracuse is “the best team in the country,” was seconds from seeing Syracuse drop a third consecutive road game. 

Loyal McQueen had just scored an uncontested layup with four seconds left, and the referee refused to let a frustrated Syracuse team spend the waning seconds walking off the floor. So, Engstler dejectedly lobbed a one-handed pass to Tiana Mangakahia. The fifth-year guard gripped the ball with two hands and firmly placed it on the hardwood before heading off the floor. Engstler took a couple steps forward, backheeled the ball in disgust and followed her teammate. 

It wasn’t supposed to end this way, not for a Syracuse team that’s won two straight games — both via dominant second halves. But the Orange (9-4, 6-4 Atlantic Coast) committed too many untimely turnovers and fouls Tuesday to complete a 16-point comeback in a 76-63 loss to Georgia Tech (10-3, 8-2). Syracuse turned the ball over 17 times and gifted the Tech offense 16 points at the free-throw line, despite shooting a higher percentage and making more field goals than the Yellow Jackets. 

“They shot 53% for the game,” Georgia Tech head coach Nell Fortner said. “But we were much more aggressive in trying to play downhill and getting to that free-throw line, and that made a huge difference tonight.”

It started with a turnover on SU’s first possession. The double team converged on Mangakahia once Kamilla Cardoso rolled off her screen to the basket. Mangakahia was still able to find her, but Cardoso had to dish again before driving closer to the hoop. Priscilla Williams was left wide-open on the left wing, but Cardoso airmailed the pass, and the Yellow Jackets took over. 

From there, Georgia Tech embarked on an early 7-0 run. On offense, forward Lorela Cubaj sank a triple from the top of the key. In the backcourt, Tech turned over the freshman Cardoso once again, leading to two more points. Flustered, Kiara Lewis tried to create some semblance of offense, but her runner thumped off the glass, and Tech transitioned to another quick score.

Quentin Hillsman’s timeout stopped the clock just under two minutes in, but it did little to calm his team. The same team that’d turned the ball over 33 times in its previous two road games would give it up nine times in the first quarter alone. In December, Hillsman said via Zoom that the team’s full-game limit is 12.

Kamilla Cardoso totaled four rebounds and committed two turnovers against Georgia Tech. Courtesy of Rich Barnes | USA TODAY

“First quarter definitely hurts you,” Hillsman said. “It’s the slow start, but we got it within three.” 

In the following three quarters, Syracuse played fairly disciplined. The Orange chipped away at the deficit while turning the ball over a combined eight times. But the lapses hampered SU. 

Like Lewis’ third of three giveaways on an errant pass in the third quarter that resulted in Lotta-Maj Lahtinen pushing the Georgia Tech lead back over 10 points with under a minute left. What could’ve become a two-possession game turned into 54-43 on the scoreboard. Back-to-back jumpers by Engstler got the Orange within six by the end of the third quarter. 

In the fourth though, the free-throw line was the difference. Syracuse trailed 56-51. Digna Strautmane had just hit a 3-pointer from the corner, giving her 1,000 points on her career resume and cutting Georgia Tech’s lead. But Cubaj answered with a layup for the Yellow Jackets, as she often did. 

It was Syracuse’s turn to answer. Lewis drove left, guarded by Cubaj, and was able to go to the line for two shots. Lewis, the team’s second-leading scorer, rattled the first shot one in-and-out. The second also missed short, making Syracuse 0-for-4 for the game and an ACC-worst 64% for this season. On the other end of the floor, Cubaj scored again.

On Georgia Tech’s next offensive set, Lewis fouled Kierra Fletcher on the fast break. She sank both free throws, and what was just a three-point Tech lead went right back to nine. 

From then on, the Yellow Jackets had an answer. For every layup by Mangakahia or Cardoso, Lahtinen and Fletcher responded at the line, or Cubaj and Nerea Hermosa finished inside. SU turned it over three more times, and the lead swelled back to 13. 

In the final four seconds of offense, Engstler and Mangakahia found themselves right back where they were in the first quarter. But this game, the opponent made Syracuse pay for its clustered miscues.   

“We did a good job getting back in the game,” Hillsman said. “But just not enough to win.”

Published on February 2, 2021 at 11:45 pm

Contact Tim: tnolan@syr.edu