Opponent Preview: What to know about LIU

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In the first three games in the Felisha Legette-Jack era, Syracuse cruised to easy victories against much inferior opponents. The Orange have taken advantage of their size, specifically with Dariauna Lewis, who has notched three double-doubles.

SU went 50% from the floor against Binghamton, but still struggled from beyond the arc, going 1-of-7. The Bearcats could only manage a 31% rate from the floor, eventually losing 92-59. Three Syracuse players scored in double digits, led by Dyaisha Fair’s 19 points.

SU will play its final of its four-game homestand against Long Island, before it faces its first Power Five test of the season against Penn State next Monday. The Sharks make the trip to the Dome, playing their fourth straight road game.

Here’s everything you need to know about Long Island (2-1, 0-0 Northeast):

All time series

Syracuse leads 2-1.

Last time they played

The Orange last played Long Island on Nov. 30, 1981, when the school was named C.W Post. Syracuse cruised to an 82-53 victory over the Sharks. The Orange finished that season 19-9, enduring a mid-season stretch where they lost five of six games. All five of those losses were to ranked teams, which included Rutgers, Old Dominion and Maryland. But following that tough stretch, the Orange won seven of their last nine games.

The Sharks report

LIU won against Ohio and Hartford, but fell to Illinois. It doesn’t average too many points per game, scoring just over 61, which is 251st in the country.

Though Syracuse ranks significantly higher in many statistical categories, Long Island has converted a 77.8% clip from the free throw line, 39th best in the nation. Against Ohio and Hartford, respectively, the Sharks went 19-of-24 and 14-of-15 from the charity stripe.

Emaia O’Brien and Ashley Austin are the only Shark players to average double-digit points, compared to SU’s three. The Sharks also don’t have a single player averaging double-digit rebounds. They total 42.3 rebounds per game, 98th best nationally.

Emma Kelly | Design Editor

How Syracuse beats Long Island

Syracuse needs to keep taking advantage of turnovers, controlling the glass and scoring from inside. The Orange have still been struggling from deep, but Legette-Jack said the only way to correct it is to keep shooting.

This might be another game where the Orange can shoot more from outside without being punished by the Sharks. Still, for a Syracuse team that limits opponents to a 30.2% field-goal percentage — 28th best in the country — it shouldn’t have any problems against LIU.

Even if Syracuse can’t get into a 3-point shooting rhythm, Long Island won’t likely punish them as it converts from deep at a 24.3% clip. If Georgia Woolley returns, that’ll be another scoring threat Syracuse will have. In her lone appearance this season, Woolley notched eight points and went 2-of-4 from deep.

Stat to know: 20.0

In every game this season, Syracuse has scored double-digit points off turnovers and fast-break points. The Sharks commit 20 turnovers per game, which is 281st nationally.

SU has found a lot of points inside the paint as a result of transitioning on the fast-break off of turnovers. Usually, Hyman or Fair leads the offense, going coast-to-coast or finding a forward such as Strong or Lewis inside for an easy two.

Player to watch: Emaia O’Brien, guard, No. 1

O’Brien plays the most minutes out of any Shark player — 24.7 per game. She’s also the team’s leading scorer with 13 points per game. Her best performance came in the team’s 74-67 win over Ohio, where she scored 19 points in 32 minutes of play. She went 4-of-11 from deep. The NEC Rookie of the Year from a season ago, in which she scored just under 10 points per game, has already improved her stats early on. O’Brien was also named to the All-NEC preseason team.