Girls basketball: Defense leads to offense; Syracuse stymies Weber
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- Syracuse High’s Kyleigh Nielson (23) pushes the ball up court as Weber’s Katelyn Poulsen (3) defends on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Weber High’s Avery Shupe (2) looks over the defense of Syracuse’s Kyleigh Nielson (23) on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Syracuse High’s Olivia Sorenson, center, tries to get up a shot against Weber’s Abigail Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Syracuse High’s Maylee Anderson (2) drives in front of a Weber defender on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Weber High’s Katelyn Poulsen, left, passes around the defense of Syracuse’s Aubri Stoker on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Syracuse High’s Olivia Sorenson (35) shoots over the defense of Weber’s Rylee Jugler (32) and Bradey Schiffman (31) on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Weber High’s Abby Sayer shoots the basketball in a game against Syracuse on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Syracuse High’s Rachel McBride, left, rises to defend Weber’s Rylee Jugler (32) on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Weber High’s Rylee Jugler corrals the basketball in a game against Syracuse on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Syracuse High’s Rachel McBride goes up to shoot in a game against Weber on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Weber High’s Abby Sayer looks to pass the ball against Syracuse on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Syracuse High girls basketball head coach Braden Hamblin, center, watches action in a game against Weber on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Syracuse.
SYRACUSE — The Syracuse girls basketball team had scored just two points through 4 minutes and 33 seconds of its game against Weber on Tuesday night.
But Syracuse’s stellar defense had only allowed two baskets to the Warriors, so the Titans were still in the contest.
Defense eventually led to offense, as the Titans got three consecutive steals that led to layups, and suddenly it was 9-4.
Region 1 undefeated Syracuse led by five points at the end of the first quarter and Weber never got closer the rest of the way as the Titans took a 48-38 victory.
“That’s how we start off usually; when we go on a run it’s always from the defense first and we get fast breaks going,” Syracuse senior guard Kyleigh Nielson said. “Our rotations are really good and we kind of locked down the outside for the first quarter. It’s a team effort; we need all five of us. Then we just run it down the other side to get the offense started on a fast break.”
Nielson had the initial theft and layup during the first-period blitz, was fouled on the shot and made the free throw for a 5-4 Syracuse lead.
“It felt great to get it. I’m thinking it’s a free shot, I might as well put it in,” Nielson said. “I knew I had to get in the passing lanes and take it from there.”
Syracuse (17-2, 7-0 Region 1) led Weber 11-6 after the first quarter and upped it by a bucket at the half with a 25-18 edge.
The Titans scored 21 of their 25 points in the lane on either layups or rebound baskets.
“We would get the rebound, kind of box out. (Weber) collapses really hard on defense, so we wanted to drive and kick (out), but we couldn’t, so we drove and passed on the inside,” Nielson said.
Both teams had a player light up the scoreboard after halftime so it was still a seven-point margin for the Titans after three quarters at 40-33.
Weber sophomore Avery Shupe splashed home eight points in the third stanza, including a pair of 3s, while Syracuse junior Maylee Anderson countered with nine points after having only two at the break.
“The first half was rough for me, so luckily in the third quarter I was able to hit some,” Anderson said. “I drove it in and found open shots and knocked them down. Coach (Braden Hamblin) said he wanted us to keep shooting no matter what.”
After the single-digit first quarter, Weber had double figures with 12 and 15 in the middle two periods — but the Titans returned to form, holding the Warriors to five points in the final frame.
“We switched to a different defense in the second and third (quarters) and it kind of opened up more shots for them; they hit some and got more confident,” Nielson said. “We changed back to the defense we were running at first and it took away those shots. We got our groove back.”
Anderson led the Titans with 13 points and grabbed six rebounds from the guard position. Nielson and junior center Rachel McBride added 12 points each for Syracuse. McBride also nabbed six boards.
For Weber, junior center Rylee Jugler scored 13 points on four field goals and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line. Shupe finished with her eight points in the third quarter.
Normally a hot-shooting team from outside, the Titans only made 2 of 14 from beyond the arc on Tuesday.
“Our shots weren’t falling, but what kept us in the game tonight was our defense; battling even though our shots weren’t going in,” Anderson said. “We had open shots, we just weren’t knocking them down.”
To Anderson’s point, Syracuse held Weber (10-10, 2-5) to 3 of 23 from the 3-point line on the defensive end.
