'Cuse Storms Past Hurricanes, 69-48

Thursday, February 20

Coral Gables, Fla.

7 p.m.

Syracuse University

19-8, 8-6ACC

Miami

13-13, 5-8ACC

Syracuse

Miami

2/20/2014 9:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Brittney Sykes’ dominant second half performance led Syracuse (19-8, 8-6 ACC) to a 69-48 win over Miami (13-13, 5-8 ACC) on Thursday night in the BankUnited Center.

VIDEO: Highlights
Box Score | Season Stats

CORAL GABLES, Fla.—Brittney Sykes' dominant second half performance led Syracuse (19-8, 8-6 ACC) to a 69-48 win over Miami (13-13, 5-8 ACC) on Thursday night in the BankUnited Center. Sykes scored 13 in the final 20 minutes including six in the first 1:38 of the second half to help the Orange pull away from the Hurricanes.

Syracuse entered halftime with a three-point lead after having trailed Miami by as much as eight to start the game but the Orange scored nine points to start the second half to control the advantage for the remainder of the contest.

Shakeya Leary recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds. The senior center also added four blocks and three steals. La'Shay Taft rounded out SU's double-digit scorers with 11 points, going 3-of-5 from long range, for her third-straight double-figure game.

Rachel Coffey dished out a game-high eight assists to go with her seven points.

SU shot 38.7 percent overall and 33.3 percent from long range including 5-of-8 (62.5 percent) in the second half. The 'Canes were held to 31.4 percent from the floor and 26.3 percent from beyond the arc.

The Orange dominated in the paint, outscoring the 'Canes, 22-8, as well as in transition with a 14-4 advantage in fast-break points.

Miami controlled the opening minutes, taking a 7-0 lead over the first 3:25 and prevented an Orange basket for the first 4:22 but Syracuse found its rhythm later in the half and went on a 14-5 run over the final 5:42 to go ahead 27-24 at halftime.

Syracuse forced two consecutive turnovers, a shot clock violation and a steal, and Brianna Butler followed it up with a 3-pointer to cut the Miami lead to 19-18, its smallest of the night, with 4:17 remaining in the half. Sykes hit a jumper with 2:40 left to give the Orange its first lead of the night and Leary scored five points in the final 1:31 of the first half to secure a 27-24 SU advantage going into the locker room.

SU scored nine points in 1:31 to start the second half including six from Sykes that gave the orange a 10-point lead that it would not squander. The Orange grew its advantage to as much as 21 points with 2:49 left in the game and finished with a 69-48 victory over Miami.

Syracuse heads home for a matchup with Pittsburgh in the Carrier Dome on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 1 p.m.