The No. 14 Canes never had control of this game. Miami suffered 23 turnovers that led to 25 points for the Syracuse Orange, ultimately leading to an 81-48 blowout loss to the opposition in the Carrier Dome.
The Hurricanes struggled against the Orange press from the opening tip, shooting just 30 percent from the field.
“Their length was an issue for us,” Head Coach Katie Meier said after the game. “When you have a team that’s this long and then just as quick to cut off some of the gaps we were trying to attack, things can fall apart really quickly.”
Miami (14-5, 3-4 ACC) could not stop the Syracuse offense either. The Orange (14-7, 5-3 ACC) backcourt dominated the game. Guards Brittney Sykes and Alexis Peterson, the highest scoring backcourt in the country, combined to score 53 points.
“I would consider them two of the best guards in the country,” Coach Meier said of Sykes and Peterson. “I have tons of admiration for how hard they play and if they make a mistake, it doesn’t last.”
UM jumped out to an early 6-3 lead with eight minutes to go in the first quarter, but that would be the last time Miami would hold the advantage. Syracuse went on a 17-8 run to end the period and never looked back, going on to outscore Miami in all four quarters.
Despite the Canes’ struggle to score, the team had three players in double figures. Senior captain guard Adrienne Motley and sophomore forward/center Emese Hof led the Hurricanes with 12 points apiece.
Miami returns home to play the University of North Carolina at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Watsco Center.