Two days after the Syracuse women’s basketball team suffered its third loss in five games, Fantasia Goodwin diagnosed the reason for the Orange’s struggles.

The energy that drove SU to the best start in program history just isn’t there right now.

‘It’s been gone, the fire definitely had burnt out,’ senior Goodwin said. ‘We’re just trying to rekindle that fire and get us going.’

In the midst of an eight-game stretch in which it plays three ranked opponents, the Orange have hit a rough patch – one that includes bad losses to Georgetown and Providence, which have a combined 5-19 record in the Big East.

The No. 22 Orange (19-6, 7-5) has a chance to get on track Saturday at 1 p.m. when Cincinnati comes to the Carrier Dome. The Bearcats own the worst record in the Big East (2-11), but two of SU’s five conference losses have come against teams that were at least tied for fewest wins in the conference.

‘Our attitudes toward teams that aren’t ranked (need to change),’ junior forward Chandrea Jones said. ‘We’ve got to play everybody the same.’

Syracuse started the season 17-3, the best start in the program’s history. Its first win against a ranked opponent this season came versus DePaul Jan. 29. Since then, the Orange is 2-3 and has lost two in a row.

Head coach Quentin Hillsman realizes the fact that his team might be running on empty right now, but there is no other choice but to continue on. Syracuse is extremely young with a nine-player rotation and only three seniors finding time on the court.

‘I think some of them have kind of hit the wall,’ Hillsman said. ‘You talk about most high school seasons, right now they are on two or three week breaks to get ready for state tournaments. You have these kids that are now playing deep into the season. Even our kids from last year are playing deep into the season with a real purpose.’

Syracuse has not had to play a game with postseason implications since five years ago, when it last made a run in the Big East tournament. It’s been six years since thoughts of an NCAA bid were tossed around. All the talk of future success is a lot for a young team to deal with. The high the players received from winning earlier in the season has now transformed into a burden.

‘I don’t think we got comfortable, but 19 wins is a lot of wins,’ Goodwin said. ‘I just don’t want our team to be scared to succeed. I think right now we are just a little scared to succeed I guess.’

It could be fear that’s draining the life out of Syracuse, or it could also be due to the fact most of the team isn’t at 100 percent. Jones and Goodwin both acknowledged members of the team have been battling colds, not to mention the coach. Hillsman struggled to give answers without pausing to cough or clear his throat last Monday. To add to the illness making its way through the team, Jones said she was banged up after the game against the Friars.

Whatever the problem is, something is affecting the play of Hillsman’s team. He noticed certain times when SU might fall into a lull, but to him it was nothing major. He did say though if anyone knows what’s wrong with the team, it would be the players.

‘In spurts I guess (they’ve been tired),’ Hillsman said. ‘I can’t say for the entire games, but I guess they would know better than me because they’re playing.’

Goodwin and Jones couldn’t exactly put their finger on what was wrong with their team’s energy, but were certain the squad’s tenacious style of play needed to return in order for wins to follow. The team that lost to Providence is not the same that won the first 19 games.

‘It’s discouraging to a lot of people and to our fans, how we’ve been playing,’ Goodwin said. ‘It’s going to take more than made baskets to win this game. That’s what separated us in the beginning of the year; we played with authority.’

mibonner@syr.edu

Published on February 21, 2008 at 12:00 pm