Fourth-seeded Syracuse (16-7, 3-4 Atlantic Coast) will take on top-seeded Maryland (19-1, 5-0 Big Ten) in the NCAA tournament final four on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at PPL Park in Chester, Pennsylvania. The Orange fell to the Terrapins, 10-7, in March in the only time they faced each other this season.

Here’s how the two teams match up in key statistical categories.

Draw controls:

Maryland: 65.1 percent
Syracuse: 61 percent

Syracuse boasts one of the top draw controls specialists in the country in Kailah Kempney, who ranks third in total draw controls all-time. But Kempney has struggled against Maryland and Taylor Cummings in the past, including a season-low three draw controls against the Terrapins earlier this year. Kempney said the difference with Cummings is the amount of confidence she has going into the circle and that Cummings knows she’s going to win every draw.

Free-position goals:

Maryland: 65 (48.5 percent)
Syracuse: 52 (46.4 percent)

The Orange has struggled on free-position shots at times this season, including a 2-for-12 showing in a loss to Notre Dame. In the last five games, though, Syracuse has shot 12-for-19 (63.2 percent) on free position shots. Orange head coach Gary Gait said his players struggle when they don’t have clear plan of where to shoot before the whistle blows. While Syracuse’s backer defense plays aggressively and has allowed 108 free position shots on the year, Maryland has surrendered just 64. In SU and Maryland’s previous matchup, UMD took seven free position shots, but only scored twice. The Orange scored once on three free position shots.

Turnover margin:

Maryland: +59
Syracuse: -33

Gait’s squad struggled with mental lapses and adjusting to new players at the start of the season, leading to miscommunication, especially on clears. While Syracuse appears to have improved — SU turned the ball over only eight times against Pennsylvania and 10 times against Loyola (Maryland) in its two NCAA tournament games — the Orange has turned the ball over 15 or more times in nine games this season. Maryland thrives at creating turnovers during rides, allowing an opponent clearing percentage of just 76.

Goals-against average:

Maryland: 7.2
Syracuse: 10.4

Maryland’s scoring defense ranks fifth in the country and is coming off a 17-5 win against Northwestern in which it allowed just one goal in the second half. Syracuse is hovering just above associate head coach Regy Thorpe’s target of 10 goals or under per game on the year, but has achieved the mark in each of the last five games.

Goals per game:

Maryland: 14.6
Syracuse: 12.9

Maryland’s high-powered offense is led by reigning Tewaaraton Award winner Taylor Cummings, who is fifth in the nation with 4.45 points per game and freshman attack Megan Whittle, who is 11th with 3.2 goals per game. The Orange has its own Tewaaraton finalist in Kayla Treanor, but Treanor was held scoreless in SU’s quarterfinals matchup with Loyola and Syracuse had to rely on other attacking options including Halle Majorana to continue the post-season run.

Shooting percentage:

Maryland: 44.8 percent
Syracuse: 46.5 percent

While SU makes a higher percentage of its shots than Maryland, the Orange struggled to efficiently shoot during the middle of the season. Three of SU’s five worst performances shooting the ball came from March 7 to April 11 when the Orange lost five games. Syracuse outshot UMD earlier this year, shooting 35 percent to the Terrapins’ 33 percent when they played head-to-head. Gait has stressed all season that this team not shoot high-to-high and change the plane of the shot instead.

Published on May 22, 2015 at 1:36 pm