No. 19 Syracuse Survives 4th Quarter Scare from Miami Behind Georgia Woolley’s Season-High 24 Points
By Andrew Della Piana | @dellie_5
CORAL GABLES, F.L. – After trailing by as many as 17 in the third quarter, the Hurricanes went on a 13-4 rally to begin the fourth. The Orange watched their lead shrink to five points with less than three minutes remaining, but No. 19 Syracuse (21-4, 11-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) held on late to defeat Miami (16-8, 6-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) 71-60. SU won its first game in Miami since December 10th, 2020.
In the first four minutes, four of Syracuse’s five starters scored, and the Orange led 9-7 after shooting 4-6 from the field. The Orange used a zone defense and held the Hurricanes scoreless for the next two minutes. SU took full advantage, racing on a 6-0 run over that stretch to an advantage of 13-7. Syracuse was up 22-16 after 10 minutes, because of Georgia Woolley’s early confidence, which led all scorers with nine points. The Orange also did a great job of moving the ball, as 6 of their 9 shots were assisted.
SU and Miami traded buckets in the first five minutes of the quarter, and the Orange took advantage of their height advantage, scoring 20 points inside the painted area. The Hurricanes cut the deficit to four points after that, but Syracuse responded by going 3-for-3 on its final three field goals of the quarter to take an 11-point lead into the break. It’s the first time in the four games that SU led at halftime.
The Orange picked up where they left off in the second half, rotating between man-to-man and zone defenses. Felisha Legette-Jack’s adjustment paid off, as the Hurricanes went just 2-for-15 in the third quarter. In the middle of the defensive dominance, Florida native Alaina Rice scored her 1,000th career point in front of her friends and family by banking in a layup. Syracuse would lead 53-36 entering the fourth quarter, its biggest lead in the game.
But Miami jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the fourth quarter as Syracuse made some costly turnovers, resulting in easy points. With less than three minutes remaining, the Hurricanes rallied back to make it a two-possession game, outscoring the Orange 20-8 to that point. However, Georgia Woolley made her first and most important three of the night, extending SU’s advantage to eight with two minutes remaining.
Woolley finished with a season-high 24 points, while the Orange earned its fifth ACC road win tonight, making it their first season since 2018-19 with at least five conference road victories.
Syracuse continues its road trip, traveling to Charlottesville to take on Virginia on Sunday.
aedellap@syr.edu | @dellie_5
