Syracuse Women On To WNIT Final Four, Avenge Toledo Loss

Hey, the Syracuse Orange are the Final Four after all, you guys!

The Syracuse women's basketball team defeated the defending WNIT champion Toledo Rockets 74-73 in the WNIT quarterfinals to advance to the Final Four for the first time in program history.

The Orange will play at James Madison on Wednesday.

SU also avenged a loss to Toledo in the WNIT last year. Curiously enough, Toledo won that game 71-68 in overtime when Syracuse sophomore Rachel Coffey missed a three-pointer as time expired. She would not make the same mistake twice:

Toledo led 64-61 with 16 seconds remaining in the second half Saturday when Coffey hit her clutch game-tying shot along the left wing. The shot came from nearly the same spot where she missed in overtime last year.

"I think that’s the difference a year makes," said SU coach Quentin Hillsman, whose team was eliminated in the WNIT quarterfinals the past two years. "Rachel was more composed and she took her time before shooting."

Coffey scored a career-high 23 points while Iasia Hemingway added 18.

Toledo probably wants to stop playing us in all sports now. Can't say I'd blame them.