Orange Woman To Assume Role Of Alpha Betas, Beat Up Some Nerds

The Syracuse women's basketball team was a longshot to make the NCAA Tournament despite an amazing start to the season. The Orange finished with an RPI ranking of 67 and a SOS rating of 134.  Not terrible but just not enough, despite two wins over Rutgers and a win over No. 8 West Virginia.  That weak conference schedule that gave the Orange their best start in school history was also their downfall (lessons learned?).

And so, the ladies are off to the WNIT.

With a 22-10 record, Syracuse earned a postseason berth for the third consecutive season. It was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2008. Last year, it won a first-round game in the WNIT over Canisius before losing to Bowling Green in the second round.

SU will host Harvard at 7 p.m. Thursday in Manley Field House. Tickets will cost $10 for adults and $5 for students or children 12 and under.

Harvard is no pushover, finishing 20-8 and 2nd in the Ivy League.  The winner of the game will face the winner of Delaware-Richmond, setting up a possible crossover SU-Richmond payback opportunity.

It's the third-straight post-season berth for the Orange, who went to the NCAA's two seasons ago and now has back-to-back NIT trips.  Doesn't sound like much but remember that the Orange have six post-season appearances ever.  Coach Q has turned SU into a consistent winner, which is saying something.