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Before Syracuse’s 2024-25 season, head coach Felisha Legette-Jack pegged one aspect of the game as what would be key to its success — rebounding.

Last year, the Orange averaged 41.36 rebounds per game, though Legette-Jack always feels like her team can do more. The head coach also noted senior Kyra Wood as one who could be deadly on the glass, while also contributing double-digit points.

And that’s just what Wood did Tuesday in Syracuse’s (1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) 108-84 season-opening win over Niagara (0-1, 0-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference). Coming off her junior season, where she averaged 6.1 points per game, Wood took a step forward against the Purple Eagles.

She tallied a team-leading 19 points and also added eight rebounds. Wood was a large part of Syracuse’s blowout of the Purple Eagles, where it outrebounded them 45-28.

“I’m focusing on being more of a scoring threat when I get the ball, especially in the paint, rather than always looking to pass,” Wood said before the season. “It’s about doing the dirty work, hitting those rebounds and put-backs.”

Wood’s early game was defined by her scoring prowess. After two quick buckets from Izabel Varejão and Sophie Burrows, Wood extended SU’s lead to 6-2. After Varejão took the ball away from Niagara, she dished the ball to Dominique Camp. Camp lobbed the ball down the court, and Wood kissed it off the glass for an easy score.

Moments later, after the Purple Eagles’ Safiatu Kolliegbo missed a 3-pointer, Wood leaped up to grab the ball, notching her first rebound. Though she then missed a layup, Wood quickly got her redemption.

Camp turned the ball over, but immediately got it back, and threaded a pass through two defenders to Wood. The forward deposited another layup, getting fouled in the process for an and-one.

Wood subbed out with six minutes left in the first quarter, but she already provided a spark to Syracuse through her scores, notching five points and one rebound.

“When there was a lot of pressure, Kyra was there wide open,” Georgia Woolley said. “You can hit her, and then she can make that shot.”

After subbing back in to start the second quarter, Wood tacked on again just three seconds in.

Camp, swamped by two defenders at mid-court, heaved the ball to Burrows. Wood, seeing free real estate in front of the basket, called for the ball. Burrows delivered a perfect pass, and Wood finished another easy shot, pushing SU’s lead to nine.

Two minutes later, Burrows threw the ball across the court to Madeline Potts. Niagara left Wood wide open again and Potts immediately lobbed the ball to a streaking Wood for two more points.

With SU comfortably up 33-21, Legette-Jack sat Wood for the rest of the half. Despite playing only eight minutes in the half, Wood ranked second on the team in points with nine, and she added two defensive rebounds.

Wood started the third quarter with a bang. SU went on a two-minute, 6-0 scoring run, with all three baskets being scored by Wood.

First, off of a Lore Porter foul, Varejão found Woolley wide open in the corner. Yet, her pass was too high. Woolley instead bounced the ball between two defenders to Wood, who floated the ball over Amelia Strong for her first score of the half.

Then, off of an inbounds pass, Camp dished the ball to Wood, who beat Strong to the ball. Wood’s left-handed finish put the Orange up by 12.

Soon after, Woolley again possessed the ball on offense but was tied up by Kolliegbo. Her only option was to float the ball to a covered Wood, who jumped over the top of Porter to snatch the ball. She then easily put it up for another layup.

“I think that gives us energy as a team to keep going,” Woolley said. “It’s a game of runs, and I think Kyra does a really good job of getting that shot when we need that shot.”

Though Wood was kept off the board for the rest of the quarter, she made her mark on the glass. After Niagara missed another triple, this time by Jordyn Williams, Wood came down with her third defensive rebound of the game.

Then, after Varejão took the ball from Kolliegbo, she set up Burrows for a 3-point attempt. Though the sophomore missed the shot, Wood was there to corral the ball and was fouled in the process, sending her to the charity stripe.

Just a minute later, Wood had her most resilient play of the night. After SU missed two shots, Wood again came away with the rebound. She tried to put the ball up but missed. This time, Varejão pulled the ball away. Wood stayed by the hoop and as Purple Eagles chased Varejão, she hooked a pass to Wood, leading to another bucket.

As Wood was in foul trouble toward the end of the contest, she sat most of the final period. That didn’t stop her from grabbing two more rebounds, with one resulting in a tip-in off of her own missed jumper.

Wood subbed out for the game’s final three minutes as the Orange were up big. The senior’s 19-point night paced Syracuse. But to Legette-Jack, Wood’s rebounding stood out the most.

“That’s who we are. That’s who I’ve always been as a head coach, boards (are) what we do,” Legette-Jack said.

Published on November 5, 2024 at 11:25 pm

Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @ Noahnuss99