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Teams: Syracuse Orange (13-7) vs. Florida State Seminoles (10-7)
Day & Time: Friday, March 5 at 2:30 p.m. EST
Location: ACC Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
TV/Streaming: Regional Sports Network
Radio: Cuse.com
Opponent Blog: Tomahawk Nation
Current Streak: Syracuse: W1 | Florida State: W1
All-Time Series: Tied 4-4
Syracuse in the ACC Tournament: 8-7
Florida State in the ACC Tournament: 9-25
Teams Last Meeting: The Orange lost to Florida State on Feb. 11, 52-67. Three ‘Cuse players reached double-figure scoring in the loss, including Kamilla Cardoso (14 pts), Tiana Mangakahia (13), and Kiara Lewis (12).
Orange Storylines:
- Tiana Mangakahia did not play in Thursday’s game versus Boston College due to a lower-body injury. In addition to Mangakahia, four other Syracuse players were unavailable due to a violation of team rules: Taleah Washington, Kiara Fisher, Khamya McNeal, and Faith Blackstone.
- Four Orange players were honored with Atlantic Coast Conference season awards on Tuesday morning. Kamilla Cardoso racked up multiple accolades, including Freshman of the Year, Co-Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defensive Team, All-Freshman Team, First Team All-ACC by the Blue Ribbon Panel, and Second Team All-ACC by the conference’s head coaches. Emily Engstler earned Co-Sixth Player of the Year, while Tiana Mangakahia and Kiara Lewis were named to the All-ACC Team Honorable Mention. Cardoso, Engstler, and Lewis were also named to the All-ACC Academic Team on Wednesday.
- Mangakahia has been named a top-5 finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Top Point Guard Award. Fan voting will go live on Friday, March 5.
- ‘Cuse is projected as an eighth seed in the NCAA Tournament from ESPN’s Bracketology by Charlie Creme.
- Lewis leads the Orange in scoring with 14.8 points per contest. Three-time ACC Freshman of the Week Cardoso is averaging 13.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Mangakahia is contributing 11.6 points and 7.5 assists per contest, while Engstler is adding 9.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game off the bench.
- The Orange rank in the top-5 of the ACC in blocked shots (1st), blocked shots per game (1st), steals per game (2nd), 3-PT field goals per game (2nd), assists per game (3rd), turnovers forced (3rd), free throw attempts (4th), steals (4th), 3-PT field goals made (4th), assists (5th), field goal % defense (5th), free throws made (5th), scoring offense (5th), 3-PT field goals attempted (5th), and won-lost % (5th). The team ranks top-25 nationally in blocked shots per game (2nd) and total blocks (7th).
- In the conference, Mangakahia ranks in total assists (1st) and assists per game (1st), Cardoso ranks in total blocks (1st), blocked shots per game (1st), field goal % (2nd), and rebounds (5th), Lewis ranks in free throw attempts (2nd) and minutes played per game (3rd), and Engstler ranks in steals per game (3rd) and blocked shots per game (4th). Nationally, Mangakahia ranks in assists per game (1st) and total assists (5th), while Cardoso ranks in field goal % (7th), total blocks (15th), and blocked shots per game (15th).
- The NCAA announced that the 2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship will be held in San Antonio, Texas. The tournament will have a 64-team bracket and the .500 rule will be waived. A limited number of fans will be allowed with a capacity of up to 17% from the Sweet Sixteen through the Final Four. The committee will announce the bracket at 7 p.m. EST on Selection Monday, March 15 on ESPN.
: Highlights from today’s ACC Tournament win over Boston College pic.twitter.com/nt4dsvzaGY
— 'Cuse Hoops (@CuseWBB) March 4, 2021
Syracuse’s Last Game: The Orange defeated Boston College in the second round of the ACC Tournament Thursday, 67-61.
Kiara Lewis led all scorers with 21 points and five assists. Digna Strautmane tallied 13 points and eight rebounds, while Amaya Finklea-Guity contributed 12 points and five rebounds off the bench. Emily Engstler grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds and scored eight points.
Head Coaches: Syracuse - Quentin Hillsman (15th year, 317-166) | Florida State - Brooke Wyckoff (1st year/Interim Head Coach, 10-7)
Opponent Coach Bio: Head Coach Sue Semrau (24th year, 453-257) is on a single-season leave of absence for the 2020-21 season as her mom recovers from ovarian cancer. Wyckoff is an FSU Alumna, a 10-year Seminole assistant coach, and the Associate Head Coach of the program since 2018.
Opponent Last Year: Last season, Florida State went 24-8 with an 11-7 ACC record. The Seminoles fell in the ACC Tournament Championship to NC State, 66-71.
Opponent’s Last Game: The Seminoles defeated Wake Forest, 59-51, in its home finale on Feb. 28.
Opponent Players to Watch: Morgan Jones, Bianca Jackson, and Kourtney Weber are averaging double-figure scoring for Florida State this season with 13.8, 13.2, and 12.1 points per game, respectively.
If Syracuse Wins: Revenge for the Orange’s regular season loss to FSU and would give them the chance to battle Louisville once again.
If Syracuse Loses: Depends on how they play, with or without Tiana Mangakahia.
Next Game: The winner of Friday’s game will advance and play the champion of the No. 1-seed Louisville vs. No. 9-seed Wake Forest Saturday in the semifinals at 12 p.m. EST on ACC Network. The Cardinals and Demon Deacons will battle on Friday at 12 p.m. EST.