With Sara Antolick still absent with a knee injury and Lina Lisnere coming back from her foot injury, the Syracuse women’s basketball team fell back on Vaida Sipaviciute.

The Orange should feel fortunate to have the 6-foot-4 center fulfilling that role. Sipaviciute’s performance, 41 points in just 28 minutes, indicated she has no problem bearing such a huge responsibility.

In SU’s 92-56 victory over Colgate at Manley Field House on Tuesday, Sipaviciute’s 41 captured SU’s single-game scoring record. Holly Oslander previously held the milestone, scoring 39 points against Boston College on Jan. 12, 1991. Sipaviciute grabbed 21 rebounds as well, only three short of the school record.

‘I didn’t feel like I scored 41 points,’ Sipaviciute said. ‘It was just happening. The ball just (kept) going in. I was like, ‘OK, this is my day today.”

Sipaviciute used tremendous footwork in the post, perfectly positioning herself to allow a clear path for teammates to lob the ball inside. And Colgate could do very little to stop her.

‘It was nice because you could pass the ball into her and you would always be sure she’d make a basket,’ Lisnere said. ‘It was such a great feeling.’

As much fun as the Orange had passing the ball around the perimeter and feeding it to Sipaviciute for the score, SU should feel just as proud for eventually having other players contribute. Initially, Sipaviciute seemed the only option. She scored seven of the Orange’s first 10 points. The rest of the team, meanwhile, struggled to make plays for themselves. Whenever they missed, Sipaviciute positioned herself for put-backs.

Sipaviciute alone nearly beat the Raiders. Colgate as a team outscored Sipaviciute by just 15. Against the Raiders, the Orange could’ve been satisfied repeating the same formula and giving the ball to the scoring machine. But on an off night, simply depending on Sipaviciute could prove devastating for the Orange.

But SU benefited from an eventual team effort. Jenny Eckhart finished with 16 points while Lisnere and Keri Laimbeer posted seven points each.

‘Coach (Keith) Cieplicki has been on us, the guards, the entire season for us to make shots and take shots,’ Eckhart said. ‘It opens (the court) up so much more. Good shots went in today so it opened it even more.’

The scoring disparity between Sipaviciute and the rest of the team couldn’t have been greater. But the rest of the players chipped in their own special ways. Point guard Cintia Johnson played at lightning speed without losing control of the ball and grabbed eight rebounds. Tracy Harbut and Laimbeer displayed their jump-shooting abilities.

That’s not to say the Orange exuded perfection when it stepped on the court. SU lapsed at times defensively and often picked up unnecessary fouls.

Still, after two straight weekend losses, Cieplicki couldn’t have been happier with the way his team bounced back. It should only get better as Cieplicki anticipates Antolick returning this weekend against Canisius.

‘I think we’re going to be as good as everybody plays,’ Cieplicki said. ‘At least the pieces are starting to come together for us. I think once we give them some time to play together, we will have good balance. Hopefully Vaida won’t have to do this every night.’

Published on November 29, 2005 at 12:00 pm