After Syracuse’s 12-point halftime lead was cut to seven less than two minutes into the third quarter, SU head coach Quentin Hillsman called a timeout. Orange point guard Kiara Lewis admitted following Sunday’s upset win over No. 5 Louisville that Syracuse “tends to struggle” coming out of the half and “lets teams come back in the game.”

On Sunday, SU resisted the third quarter comeback against the Cardinals, and on Thursday night, the Orange did the same. Syracuse exploded for 25 points in the third frame against North Carolina, including three 3s from Digna Strautmane, to extend its lead to 22 and put the game out of reach.

Syracuse (13-11, 7-6 Atlantic Coast) blew past the Tar Heels (16-9, 7-7), 74-56, on Thursday night at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, extending its win streak to three games. The 18-point margin was the Orange’s biggest win since Jan. 19 against Pittsburgh.

Three different SU players scored 15-plus points for the first time since its 77-63 over then-No. 19 Michigan State on Dec. 20. Tonight, Lewis and Strautmane led the Orange with 17 points while Emily Engstler tacked on 16 points and 15 rebounds, her second 15-15 game this season. SU made 12 3-pointers, its first time eclipsing Hillsman’s desired mark of 10 made 3s since in 15 games.

Neither team could take advantage of the other’s poor shooting to start the game. North Carolina jumped out to a 4-0 lead but was then held scoreless for the next four minutes. By the under-five minute media timeout, the two teams had combined for just eight points on 4-for-22 shooting. Both teams shot below 35 percent in the opening quarter and the Orange held a one-point lead.

Stifling the Tar Heels in the second quarter, Syracuse built on its lead. The Orange scored the first nine points of the quarter and limited UNC to one field goal through nearly eight minutes. Again, Lewis led Syracuse’s offense. The junior point guard made three of her four shots and added eight points in a dominant second quarter that the Orange won 18-7. North Carolina’s seven points in the quarter marked the second-fewest SU has allowed in a quarter this season.

Engstler came within a rebound of a double-double in the first half, while backup guards Taleah Washington, Teisha Hyman and Elemy Colome each tallied buckets. Nine different SU players scored in the first half. The Tar Heels’ 23 first-half points were the lowest of their season.

Among the Orange’s scoring burst in the third quarter were deep balls from Strautmane, Engstler and Gabrielle Cooper. Again, Syracuse kept North Carolina scoreless for four-plus minutes while SU mounted a 22-point lead heading into the fourth.

From there, the closest the Tar Heels got was within 14. Lewis added seven more points in the final 10 minutes to close out another opponent above SU in the conference standings.

Syracuse will return to the Carrier Dome on Sunday against Pittsburgh at 1 p.m.

Published on February 13, 2020 at 9:52 pm

Contact David: ddschnei@syr.edu