Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse women's basketball coach Quentin Hillsman has what he calls a "reckless confidence'' in his team.
That means he has such a belief in the group that when it hits what looks like a ceiling, he knows someone, somehow is going to step up and break through it.
That foundational philosophy was severely tested on Thursday, on a night when at one point the coach called out his team's guts. But turned out to be an unnecessary challenge. The Orange's two emerging stars had their teammates covered almost from start to finish.
The phenomenal tandem of sophomore point guard Tiana Mangakahia and redshirt junior forward Miranda Drummond played basketball with a single mind and Ivy League-caliber intelligence to tug unbeaten Syracuse to 81-74 win over Northwestern in an ACC-Big Ten Challenge game in the Carrier Dome.