The Hurricanes took to the road on Sunday afternoon looking for their second win against an AP Top 25 team this season, but North Carolina (18-4, 8-4 ACC) would not even allow the Canes to get started. The Tar Heels dominated from start to finish, defeating Miami (12-9, 5-6 ACC) by a final score of 85-38.
Graduate guard Kelsey Marshall did all she could to try to will the Canes into the game, leading the Hurricanes with 15 points, her eighth consecutive game scoring in double-digits and 17th game in double-figures overall.
The Hurricanes recorded a season-low in scoring against North Carolina, with their previous low of 46 points in a game coming twice in January, once in a loss to Wake Forest and the other in a win over Georgia Tech.
UM shot just 23% from the field, knocking down just four of their 25 attempts from downtown. The Tar Heels also outrebounded the Hurricanes, 53-34, a game after Miami outrebounded Syracuse, 53-36.
“When we rebound, we’re going to play with anyone in the country,” Meier said after a January win over Wake Forest.
North Carolina got out to a massive first-quarter lead, going up 28-2 after the first ten minutes of play. The Hurricanes scored a lone bucket from freshman guard Ja’Leah Williams, who finished the game with four points.
Senior guard Karla Erjavec had six assists for the Canes, giving her 14 assists and only a pair of turnovers in Miami’s last two games.
UM started to show some life coming out of halftime, going on an 11-0 scoring run, but the Tar Heels finished strong, winning the quarter as they did in the other three.
The Hurricanes are back in action against another top-25 opponent in No. 20 Notre Dame on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana.