Syracuse Women's Basketball: Butler Helps Orange Pummel Virginia

Syracuse's shooting and first half dominance lead to a 57-30 lead at halftime. The Syracuse Orange were able to cruise in the 2nd half to win 91-57. SU's 34 point victory is the largest victory in their current five-game winning streak. It is also the largest victory so far in ACC games this season. Syracuse shot a scorching 52.5% from the field including 54.5% from behind the arc. They also converted a resounding 15 of 16 shots from the free throw line. Syracuse also forced 23 turnovers. When Syracuse shoots so well and forces high amounts of turnovers, they are an elite team and dangerous in the tournament.

Brianna Butler led the way in the first half. She played some of the best basketball that we've seen from her against UVA. She hit all six of her 3-point attempts in the first half. Butler scored a total of 23 points just in the first half, yet she did not score again in the game after halftime.  Luckily, 23 points in the first half were enough to put the game away early for SU. Butler also contributed by grabbing 4 rebounds.

One area where Syracuse did not particularly shine was rebounding. They did manage to out-rebound UVA 33-30. However, they allowed UVA to obtain 15 offensive rebounds. This has been an area where Syracuse has struggled in the ACC.

Syracuse currently sits 4th in the ACC standings. They are 9-3 in the ACC and 19-6 overall. The SU's next game is at North Carolina state on Sunday, February 14th. This Valentine's Day game special tips off at 2 pm. The Wolfpack is 8-4 17-8 in the ACC. They rank 6th in the ACC, so a victory over Syracuse would mean NC state moving over Syracuse in the standings. That being said this is a crucial game for the Orange.