The women’s basketball team fell to ACC foe Syracuse 57-51 at home Monday night. With one minute left, the game was tied 49-49, and junior Syracuse center Briana Day nailed a mid-range jump shot to put the Orange up by two. The Canes’ attempt to retie the game failed when freshman center Emese Hof failed to convert either free throw attempt after she was hacked in the paint. From then on, the Orange took command of the game. The remaining 37 seconds became a repeated cycle of the Canes sending an Orange shooter to the line.
Coming into the game, Syracuse was second in the NCAA in turnovers, forcing an average of 25 a game.
“They are turning over everyone in the ACC 25 times a game,” Head Coach Katie Meier said.
They did not waver from their modus operandi against the No. 16 Canes, forcing 26 turnovers throughout the game. Frequent turnovers have not been a common theme for the Canes this season; the team averages 14.9 turnovers per game. Syracuse coerced the turnovers with active hands on defense and by trapping Miami’s guards as they brought the ball to the frontcourt.
Although the Canes played sloppily on the offensive side, the game remained competitive throughout the entire contest.
“We hung in and created a winnable game out of a very not winnable game,” Meier said.
While the Canes gave up many possessions, the team was able to limit the Orange to 29 percent shooting from the field, a much better mark than the Canes’ season average of 38.4 percent.
Heading into the game, Hof’s field goal percentage was the highest in the ACC at 58. However, she struggled to put the ball in the basket Monday night. Over the past two games, she is just 2-of-9 from the field.
Junior guard Adrienne Motley led the way for the Canes scoring 16 points. It was her seventh consecutive game scoring at least 16 points.
Another key contributor for the Canes was freshman guard Laura Cornelius off the bench. Midway through the third quarter, she hit two back-to-back three-point shots, giving the Canes its first lead since the first quarter.
The Canes will be back in action 7 p.m. Thursday night when the team hits the road and takes on ACC opponent Boston College.