Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse needed to send a message -- to Notre Dame, the women's basketball juggernaut on the Orange's home court, and to the record-shattering 11,021 fans in the Carrier Dome on Sunday that were promised an exciting show.
So when SU redshirt senior guard Brittney Sykes held the ball several steps and loosely guarded behind the 3-point line just 14 seconds after the opening tip, she rose up and drained the first shot of the game.
Then she hit another, senior point guard Alexis Peterson added a deep ball and freshman sharpshooter Gabby Cooper sunk one.