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

Through Syracuse’s underwhelming 2024-25 campaign, it’s had numerous glaring issues.

Its defense has been porous, allowing 72.7 points per game, ranking in the bottom 50 nationally. In addition, the Orange have been plagued by constant turnovers, averaging 16.8 per contest.

But one area has stood out as its worst — 3-point shooting. Entering their bout with No. 20 NC State Thursday, the Orange shot just 32.4% from deep on the season, ranking 13th in the ACC. Their 5.0 3s per game average also placed dead last in the conference.

Against the Wolfpack, the issue was glaring. In Syracuse’s (7-12, 1-7 Atlantic Coast) 74-66 loss to No. 20 NC State (15-4, 7-1 Atlantic Coast), SU sank only five of a season-high 24 3-point attempts. Despite plenty of wide-open looks, SU’s best 3-point shooters — Sophie Burrows and Georgia Woolley — finished a combined 2-for-13 from beyond the arc. This proved crucial in a tight game down the stretch.

“We got plays that got us really wide open, and those shots are going to go down nine times out of 10, but they didn’t go down for us today,” SU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said postgame.

Syracuse’s shortcomings from 3 have been especially noticeable in ACC play. SU shot just 4-of-20 from distance versus Boston College and 3-of-16 against both Miami and SMU.

Though despite its recent struggles, Syracuse took a high volume of shots from deep right away versus NC State. Just a minute into the contest, Dominique Camp dished it to Burrows at the top of the key, but her try rimmed out.

At the 7:58 mark of the first, Saniaa Wilson set a screen on NC State’s Zoe Brooks, allowing Camp to bury a triple from the left wing. However, that was Camp’s only made 3 of the day, as she finished 1-of-5 in 37 minutes.

Burrows also drained a triple two minutes later. But the make was bookended by two misses, one of which there was no player anywhere near her. This was a constant theme for the sophomore, as she finished 1-for-9 from beyond the arc.

Woolley mentioned when Burrows was hitting shots, it made NC State guard her tighter, opening up opportunities for other players. Still, despite continuing to get open looks from 3, Burrows — a 36.3% 3-point shooter — couldn’t find her form.

“Sophie’s not going to sleep well tonight because not only did she miss a lot of shots, she was wide open, and she makes them in her sleep,” Legette-Jack said.

The Orange finished the first quarter shooting 2-of-7 from 3. But their shortcomings didn’t come back to haunt them, as they still led 24-15.

Three minutes into the second quarter, Burrows dribbled down the left side, drawing two defenders with her. This left Keira Scott — who’s shot just 20% from 3 this year — wide open, but she was also unsuccessful. Finally, Woolley ended a streak of six consecutive misses with a triple off a dime from Lexi McNabb.

But the momentum was short-lived. Although Izabel Varejão drilled just her second 3 of the season to put SU up 42-32 at the half, Woolley preceded it by misfiring a shot with Aziaha James closing in. Camp followed with another miss despite having adequate room to make the shot after Varejão blocked off Brooks.

But per Legette-Jack, SU’s game plan never changed. Her players were getting open. They just weren’t hitting the shots. She gave them the O.K. to keep shooting as opportunities arose.

“They had the green light,” Legette-Jack said. “You practice a shot, you need the right to take them.”

But this would be Syracuse’s downfall. SU’s 10-point advantage evaporated in the second half as it continued to miss open shots. The Wolfpack took advantage.

The half began with Burrows taking three shots from beyond the arc, with none drawing nylon. In this stretch, NC State cut SU’s lead to 44-38. Legette-Jack subbed Burrows out for freshman Madeline Potts — who leads the Orange with a 41.4% 3-point hit rate in limited opportunities — hoping something would change.

The decision briefly paid off. Potts passed the ball to Varejão in the corner, who dished it to Camp. The freshman snuck behind Saniya Rivers back into the corner and drilled a triple, giving SU its biggest lead of the game, 49-38.

But that was Syracuse’s last 3 of the contest. As NC State clawed back, making it 49-44, Legette-Jack was forced to put Burrows back in the game for her defense, trying to hold onto the lead.

And with that came more struggles. With two minutes left in the third, Camp dribbled into the corner, then found Scott wide open at the top of the key. But again, Scott found no luck. A minute-and-a-half later, Potts fed Woolley on the right wing, but the Australian’s attempt barely nicked the side of the iron.

With the teams going back and forth in the fourth quarter, Syracuse only attempted two triples in the first eight minutes — both misses from Woolley and Burrows. This kept the Orange in the game for the time being.

Though in the final seconds, with SU trailing 69-66, there was little way the Orange could come back without hitting a 3. And their struggles came back to bite them. With just 27 seconds remaining, Camp sidestepped a defender in the left corner and heaved up a desperation triple. The attempt glanced off the side of the backboard.

Camp’s miss all but ended Syracuse’s upset bid. Despite holding a commanding 10-point halftime lead, the Orange’s woes on the perimeter allowed NC State to storm back. If the Orange want to win, they need to take advantage of open shots. And they didn’t versus the Wolfpack, leading to their second-half collapse.

“We had a lot of open looks, and they didn’t fall today,” Woolley said. “We’ve just got to hit those ones.”

Published on January 23, 2025 at 10:34 pm

Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @ Noahnuss99