Syracuse’s game plan was clear from the opening tip against Lafayette on Saturday.

On the first possession of the game, Elashier Hall dumped the ball down to Kayla Alexander on the right block. The SU center spun into the lane and released a left-handed jump hook that ricocheted off the back iron.

Alexander fought for the rebound in traffic and forced up another shot, drawing a foul against Lafayette’s 6-foot-7 center Danielle Fiacco in the process.

‘We could kind of flood those blocks and play at the rim,’ SU head coach Quentin Hillsman said. ‘And obviously, that’s what we did.’

The Orange has done that to earn three straight wins to start this season. SU (3-0) has pounded the ball inside to overwhelm its opponents with its size and athleticism on the offensive end. Hillsman’s strategy to get the ball inside is no secret, as the head coach said on media day in October that the offense would run through the post.

Syracuse will look to continue its dominance in the paint when it takes on Buffalo (2-1) in the Carrier Dome at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

The success inside has been crucial for SU early on as its inexperienced backcourt has struggled. Sophomore guards La’Shay Taft and Rachel Coffey and junior Shanee Williams have scored just 22 points combined through three games, and the Orange has shot just 25 percent from 3-point range thus far.

Without a reliable perimeter threat other than Hall, the Syracuse offense has centered around a high-low game between the forwards and Alexander. The high-low attack keyed the Orange in its victory over Lafayette.

‘We just knew that if we got on those blocks, that that weakside forward would be 5-8, 5-9, so we just tried to look for that matchup,’ Hillsman said. ‘That’s how we kept getting the lob over the top. We just got the ball to the high post.’

The first opportunity to do so came a little over two minutes into the game on Saturday.

Shakeya Leary received the ball on the left elbow and hit Alexander on the opposite block for an open layup. Alexander missed, but Carmen Tyson-Thomas was there for the putback.

Less than seven minutes later, Iasia Hemingway lofted a pass from the right elbow to Alexander for two points to push Syracuse’s lead to 22-14.

Two possessions later, Hemingway flashed to the foul line and knocked down a jumper. Despite the make, Hillsman shook his head, unhappy with the possession as Alexander had a smaller defender sealed down low for what would have been an easy finish.

‘I told Iasia to try to look for the right matchup and whoever had a 5-9 kid on her, we just threw the ball over the top and shot layups,’ Hillsman said.

It’s a strategy that Hillsman hammers into his players beginning in pregame warm-ups.

Less than 30 minutes before tipoff, SU runs through the same two plays. The players start at halfcourt and break into a 1-4 set before swinging the ball around the perimeter.

Once the ball reaches the wing, a forward curls off a screen from the center at the free-throw line for a layup. Out of the same set, the players run another variation when the forward cuts to the high post and hits the center for the layup.

The plays are run over and over again, always ending in a layup on the block. There are no jump shots taken, and SU prepares to execute the same plan during the game. The repetition has led to results so far for the Orange, which has outscored its opponents by a combined 102 points in three blowout victories.

When the Orange hasn’t been finishing easy layups to score, its overmatched opponents have resorted to fouling its post players to slow them down. Alexander finished 6-of-7 from the free-throw line against Lafayette to help Syracuse break open the game in the second half.

‘I think it was definitely vital because it helped us get the lead and build the lead against them,’ Alexander said. ‘So free throws, if you can get the buckets without the clock running, it’s pretty important.’

Those easy points from the free-throw line coupled with high-percentage opportunities in the post have proven to be a winning formula. And the Orange stuck to that game plan after a tough first half against Lafayette to secure another victory last weekend.

‘It was just getting those good shots and finishing,’ Hall said.

rjgery@syr.edu

Published on November 21, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu