When head coach Keith Cieplicki took the job as the Syracuse women’s basketball coach in 2003, he knew there was definitely work to be done.

He survived a six-win season in 2003-2004 and brought in his first recruiting class for the 2004-2005 season. But he got a bit of advice from outgoing athletic director, Jake Crouthamel before the season began.

‘He told me, ‘Listen, it’s still going to be a tough year and this is not going to be a quick fix,” Cieplicki said. ‘That reminder really helped me.’

The Orange will travel to the Hartford Civic Center to play Connecticut Saturday at 2 p.m.

While the quick fix appeared to be in development at the end of January when SU (11-13, 3-10 Big East) had an 11-8 record, five consecutive losses quickly reinforced Crouthamel’s words of wisdom. UConn will be the third straight ranked opponent on SU’s schedule, and the Huskies (17-6, 10-2) become a big obstacle in the rebuilding process.

No. 10 UConn lost, 76-62, at Rutgers last week. Despite giving the Scarlet Knights more problems than the nationally acclaimed Huskies, the Orange has not fared well against similarly talented Connecticut. The Orange suffered an 82-38 shellacking last year in Manley Field House.

But SU has come a long way since then. Cieplicki is looking for more checks in the win column rather than just being competitive.

‘(The Rutgers game) was the first time I ever went into the locker room after the game and I felt bad for our team,’ Cieplicki said on his weekly radio show. ‘I really thought we played better than Rutgers. I’m not big on moral victories, but last night was the closest I’ve ever gotten to one.’

Looking ahead to the Huskies, junior Ann Strother leads Connecticut in scoring, notching 20 points in each of her last two games. The junior guard has been in the starting lineup since her freshman year, and at 6 feet, 2 inches, creates instant matchup problems on the perimeter.

Meanwhile, Syracuse will have more of a youthful influence in the box score. Freshmen Mary Joe Riley, Vaida Sipaviciute and Jessica Richter have all started in recent games, sometimes contributing greatly (Richter’s career-high 21 points against Rutgers) or very little (Riley’s four turnovers and 2-of-9 shooting).

But despite some difficulties, Cieplicki is quick to defend his future stars.

‘Their lack of experience is going to cost us some plays,’ he said. ‘They’re allowed to make them, but when those mistakes start to repeat themselves, then they have to learn like everyone else. They don’t have the free roll. (And Mary is) starting to get a feel for what we want her to do.’

Cieplicki wants to win despite Crouthamel’s advice. The athletic director wasn’t expecting any miracles this season and as it winds down, his second-year basketball coach agrees. Winning isn’t a miracle anymore.

‘It’s going to be as tough of a test as we face all year,’ Cieplicki said. ‘If we take care of the ball, we can stay in the game.’

Published on February 17, 2005 at 12:00 pm