Syracuse women’s basketball vs. Wake Forest: TV/streaming, time, history & more

Teams: Syracuse Orange (9-4, 6-4 ACC) vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-7, 5-6 ACC)

Day & Time: Thursday, February 4 at 6 p.m. EST

Location: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.

TV/Streaming: ACC Network

Radio: Cuse.com

Opponent Blog: Blogger So Dear

Current Game Streak: Syracuse: L1 | Wake Forest: L1

All-Time Series: Syracuse leads 6-2

Teams Last Meeting: The Orange fell to the Demon Deacons, 60-65, in the Carrier Dome in January 2020. Lewis led the team with 17 points.

Orange Storylines:

• For the third week in a row, a Syracuse freshman was named Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Week. Kamilla Cardoso earned her second straight honor after averaging 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.5 blocks in two Syracuse wins last week. Priscilla Williams earned conference Freshman of the Week on Jan. 18.
• Tiana Mangakahia was named one of the Top 10 candidates for the 2021 Nancy Lieberman Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. Fan voting will go live Friday, February 5 at 1 p.m. EST on HoophallAwards.com.
• The Orange received votes in the AP Top 25 Poll (20) and the USA TODAY/WBCA Top 25 Coaches Poll (45) this week.
• ‘Cuse stands in fourth place in the conference standings.
• Freshman Kamilla Cardoso leads the team with 14.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Kiara Lewis stands just behind Cardoso in scoring, averaging 13.5 points per contest. Emily Engstler is making a name for herself as ACC Sixth Player of the Year, averaging a near double-double this season with 10.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per contest off the bench. Freshman Priscilla Williams (10.6 pts) and Tiana Mangakahia (10.8) are also contributing double-figure scoring for ‘Cuse this season.
• The Orange rank in the top-5 of the ACC in assists per game (1st), blocked shots per game (1st), blocked shots (2nd), steals per game (2nd), 3-PT field goals per game (2nd), field goal percentage defense (3rd), 3-PT field goals made (3rd), turnovers forced (3rd), scoring offense (4th), 3-PT field goal defense (4th), 3-PT field goals attempted (4th), assists (5th), rebounds per game (5th), steals (5th), won-loss percentage (5th). The team ranks top-15 nationally in blocked shots per game (4th) and total blocks (9th).
• In the conference, Mangakahia ranks first in assists per game and total assists, Cardoso ranks first in field goal percentage, blocked shots per game, and total blocks, Lewis ranks third in minutes per game and fourth in free throw attempts, Engstler ranks fourth in defensive rebounds per game and rebounds per game, and Priscilla Williams fifth in 3-PT field goal percentage. Nationally, Mangakahia ranks second in assists per game and fourth in total assists, and Cardoso ranks fifth in field goal percentage, eighth in blocked shots per game, and ninth in blocked shots.
• Erica Morrow, a 2011 ‘Cuse graduate, has rejoined head coach Quentin Hillsman in Central New York as an assistant coach.
• On December 2nd, 2020, the Syracuse Athletics staff were able to adjust and achieve a live basketball game despite a location change in under 60 minutes. This is their story.
• The NCAA announced the 2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship will be held in one geographic area and is in preliminary talks with the city of San Antonio, Texas. The NCAA also announced the tournament will have a 64-team bracket, the .500 rule will be waived, and an eligibility waiver will be available for teams that do not reach a minimum of 13 games.

Syracuse’s Last Game: The Orange were unable to overcome the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets as they lost 76-63 in Atlanta on Tuesday. Syracuse trailed by as many as 18 points in the contest but cut the lead to three early in the final quarter before Georgia Tech pulled away.

Tiana Mangakahia tallied a near double-double with 15 points and nine assists. Kamilla Cardoso led the team with 18 points, while Priscilla Williams contributed 10 points. Digna Strautmane recorded seven points in the game and became the 31st player in program history to reach 1,000 career points.

Head Coaches: Syracuse - Quentin Hillsman (15th year, 313-164) | Wake Forest - Jen Hoover (9th year, 122-147)

Opponent Coach Bio: Jen Hoover enters her ninth season at Wake Forest. Hoover came to Wake Forest after one season as the head coach at High Point. Hoover also had stops at California, Memphis, Virginia, James Madison, East Carolina, Virginia Commonwealth, and Missouri-Kansas City. She played college basketball at Wake and was a three-time All-ACC selection. Hoover is second on the school’s career record charts for points (1,728) and rebounds (1,006). Hoover was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.

Opponent Last Year: Last season, Wake Forest went 16-16 with a 7-11 ACC record. The Demon Deacons fell in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament to Florida State, 47-76.

Opponent’s Last Game: Wake Forest fell to Clemson, 66-69. Freshman Jewel Spear led all scorers with a season-high 24 points off six three-pointers.

Opponent Players to Watch: Ivana Raca leads the team with 16.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

If Syracuse Wins: Back in the win column and on the right track.

If Syracuse Loses: Four losses in six games is not a good sign for Orange fans. Thursday’s contest is a must-win for Syracuse.