Fair Propels Syracuse Past Virginia

Syracuse returned home to the JMA Wireless Dome Thursday night and earned an ACC win over Virginia, 90-72. Senior guards Dyaisha Fair and Alaina Rice led the Orange to victory. Fair led all players with 36 points, her first 30-point game in a Syracuse uniform, while Rice had 18 points, setting a new career-high at Syracuse. 

Georgia Woolley notched 17 points, four rebounds and two assists in the victory, while Asia Strong scored eight points and had three rebounds on the night. 

WHEN IT WAS DECIDED: 
With a 43-42 lead two minutes into the second half, the Orange used a 6-0 scoring run sparked by a Fair three to go ahead by seven. The Cavaliers responded with a run of their own to trail by three but SU held off UVA and never surrendered the lead. 

Syracuse didn’t slow down and had their highest-scoring frame of the game to edge the Cavaliers 25-14 in the final 10 minutes. Fair scored 17 points in fourth quarter and tallied her program-record eighth three down the final stretch.

THREE PARTY:  
The Orange came out firing from beyond the three-point line against the Cavaliers, scoring their first bucket of the game with a three-pointer from Alaina Rice. It is the second straight game in which Syracuse began the game with a three-pointer. Rice shot 50 percent from downtown while fair led the way going 8-for-11 from deep. Syracuse finished with a season-high 12 threes and shot 42.9% from beyond the arc. 

NOTABLE NUMBERS:

• Fair recorded her 21st straight game with double-digit points and her first 30-point game at Syracuse. 

• Rice had her second straight game with 15+ points and set a new career high at Syracuse with 18 points.  

• Syracuse had three players with double-digit points: Fair (36), Rice (18) and Woolley (17) 

UP NEXT:  
‘Cuse takes the court next on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 12 p.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome when the Orange host Louisville. It’s the second meeting between the two this season. Louisville won 86-77 on Dec. 29, 2022 at the KFC Yum! Center. Fans are encouraged to wear orange for an Orange Out as Syracuse celebrates National Girls and Women in Sport Day.