🏀 Know the Foes: Blue Devils, Panthers, & Wolfpack

Welcome to Orange United, a newsletter fueled by Student-Athlete NIL (SANIL) for Syracuse University’s collective Orange United.

In today’s content:
- 'Cuse rankings 🎾
- Update in athletics 🍊
+ So much more 💪

🥍 No. 7 MLAX rejuvenates series versus No. 15 Harvard

👑 CAN’T BE TAMED

Going unbeaten in non-conference play (7-0) to kick-off its 2025 campaign, Women's Tennis team ranks No. 32 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) team rankings (READ MORE).

🏀 STARTING FIVE

Women’s Basketball (10-16) travels to Duke (20-7) to open weekend action before hosting Pittsburgh (11-17) Thursday:

• Duke ranks top 30 in six NCAA categories - bench scoring (3rd), forced turnovers per game (20th), turnover margin (22nd), offensive rebounding average (25th), assist average (27th) and scoring margin (29th)

• The Blue Devils have held 13 opponents in ACC action below their respective season scoring averages, limiting opponents to 53.1 points on 38-percent shooting and 0.65 points per possession

• The team is also averaging 11.1 steals and 4.9 blocks in league play while forcing the opposition into an ACC-best 23.0 turnovers per game

• Canadian forward Toby Fournier leads all ACC freshmen in total field goal percentage, two-point field goal makes (4.9) and attempts (8.7), average free throw makes (3.1) and attempts (4.6)

• She also leads the Blue Devils in points (334), field goal percentage (.550), total field goals (126), free throws (78) and blocks (31) while ranking second on the team in rebounds (129)

• Redshirt sophomore Mikayla Johnson is coming off a career-high 27-points against Virginia where she shot 5-for-10 from beyond the arc

• Johnson has gone a perfect 17-for-17 from the charity stripe over the last four games, her last missed free throw came in the loss to Cal (Feb. 2)

• Despite a loss to Florida State Thursday night, the Panthers forced FSU into a season-high 20 turnovers

• In the contest, Marley Washenitz recorded four steals, bringing her total to nine over the last three games

• Johnson poured 19 points and was joined in double-figures by graduate center Khadija Faye, who logged her ACC-leading 14th double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds

Men’s Basketball (11-16) welcomes NC State (10-16) for mid-week scuffle on Wednesday:

• Freshman guard Trey Parker has scored 69 points in the last seven games and is shooting 42.6 percent from the field, including 34.6 percent from three-point range

• Dropping its most recent contest versus UNC, Wolfpack’s Jayden Taylor led the team in scoring for the second consecutive game, finishing with 19 points

• His 19 points were the most against an ACC opponent this season for Taylor and snapped a five-game stretch where he had scored in double digits

• Teammate Dontrez Styles added 18 points and a team-high five rebounds

🥎 February 21-23 // Softball competes in the Georgia Classic in Athens

🎾 February 21 // Tennis welcomes No. 3 North Carolina at 3:00 pm ET on ACC Network X

🏃 February 22 // Track battles in the Denault Invitational in Ithaca, NY

🥍 February 22 // Women’s Lacrosse clashes with No. 2 North Carolina away at 11:00 am ET on ACC Network X

🥍 February 22 // No. 7 Men’s Lacrosse hosts No. 15 Harvard at 1:00 pm ET on ACC Network X (Otto’s Kids Club Day)

🏒 February 22 // Women’s Ice Hockey faces Robert Morris at home at 3:00 pm ET on FloHockey / Cuse. TV (AHA Quarterfinals)

🎾 February 23 // Tennis takes on No. 10 Duke at home at 11:00 am ET on ACC Network X

🏀 February 23 // Women’s Basketball travels to Duke at 2:00 pm ET on The CW