Mangakahia helps No. 18 Orange women hold off Virginia 72-6

Feb 1, 2019, 02:19 am

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Tiana Mangakahia had 16 points and 14 assists and No. 18 Syracuse scored the last four points of the game Thursday night to edge Virginia 72-68.

Neither team managed a double-figure lead and a layup by Mangakahia, who had the 21st double-figure assist game of her career, put Syracuse up 68-63 with four minutes to go. After that the Orange missed their last five shots.

Dominique Toussaint hit a 3-pointer at 3:38 and a basket by Jocelyn Willoughby tied it two minutes later. Mangakahia broke the tie with two free throws on the next possession and after the Cavaliers missed, Digna Strautmane grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled. She made her first free throw and missed the second, teammate Gabrielle Cooper grabbed the rebound and flipped it back to Straumane, who was fouled. Strautmane made 1 of 2 from the line and made it a two-possession game.

Strautmane finished with 14 points for Syracuse (17-4, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who had a player get a points/assists double-double for the first time since Dec. 30, 2015.

Willoughby matched her career high with 25 points and added 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers (8-13, 2-6) and Brianna Tinsley also tied her career best with 19 points.