UAlbany looks to pull upset against Syracuse

ALBANY, NY (NEWS10) -- With seven new players on the roster and just one returning starter, there were a lot of new faces on the court for the UAlbany Women's Basketball team in their season opener against Marist on Tuesday night. Did that high level of roster turnover slow the Great Danes down? Not one bit.

UAlbany earned a big 74-46 win over the Red Foxes to begin their season. Now the team turns its attention to a road matchup with Syracuse on Friday night.

It's a tougher task, against a Power 4 opponent, but one UAlbany earned an upset in last year, beating the Orange 73-70. Handling pressure and dealing with adversity has been a big focus in practice as the team prepares for this ACC test.

It will not be an easy one for UAlbany but the team is trying to keep their focus on what they do well as they seek another upset in the Dome.

"Syracuse is obviously going to be a really tough challenge," said Head Coach Colleen Mullen. "The game last year was just one of the most memorable games of my career. But it's a tall task to go against Marist, then a Syracuse, then turn back around and play against Dartmouth because they're just so different. But what we're trying to do is stick to our process, stick to what we do best and focus on, with Syracuse, our defense and then really just being able to handle their pressure with poise."

The Great Danes and Syracuse tip-off from the JMA Wireless Dome on Friday at 7 p.m. UAlbany will then face Dartmouth at home on Monday.