'Cuse Heads to Miami for ACC Clash

Syracuse (18-8, 7-6 ACC) at Miami (13-12, 5-7 ACC)
Game Details	Thursday, Feb. 20 \| 7 p.m. ET \| Coral Gables, Fla. BankUnited Center (7,900)
Game Coverage	TV: None Watch: Canes All-Access (fee applies) Radio: ESPN 97.7/100.1 FM & 1200 AM \| Orange All-Access Live Stats Twitter: @CuseWBB \| @cuse
Syracuse Links	Roster \| Schedule \| Stats \| Game Notes
Miami Links	Roster \| Schedule \| Stats \| Game Notes

Follow @CuseWBB
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse women's basketball (18-8, 7-6 ACC) continues its regular-season stretch run on Thursday when it plays at Miami (13-12, 5-7 ACC) in a key ACC game at 7 p.m.

GAME COVERAGE

• The game will be webcast on Canes All Access. A fee applies.

• All games can be heard live on SU's flagship station, ESPN 97.7/100.7 FM, 1200 AM, and on Cuse.com with Brian Higgins '04 on the call.

• Free live stats are available at Cuse.com.

• As always, follow @CuseWBB on Twitter for live in-game updates.

ORANGE STRONG IN '13-14

• An aggressive non-conference schedule, paired with a challenging ACC slate has helped the Orange achieve a No. 23 ranking in the latest official NCAA RPI ratings, released on Feb. 17.

• The Sagarin/CBN Ratings have SU 18th with the No. 7 strength-of-schedule. • Syracuse went 11-2 in its non-conference schedule, the seventh time in program history the Orange was 11-2 or better after 13 games.

STANDINGS WATCH

• At 7-6, Syracuse is tied for sixth in the ACC standings with Georgia Tech, who SU holds a tiebreaker on by virtue of its 76-70 win on Jan. 12. Ahead of the Orange tied for fourth-place are Maryland (8-4) and North Carolina (8-4). Right behind SU and GT in eighth-place is Virginia (6-6), another team the Orange has beaten.

• All three of the Orange's remaining opponents are under .500 in ACC play: Miami (5-7), Pitt (3-9) and Wake Forest (5-7).

• The top nine teams receive a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament, while the top four receive double-byes.

AN ORANGE WIN WOULD...

• ...guarantee SU a .500 record or better in its first ACC season.

• ...make it 7-17 all-time vs. the Hurricanes, including 3-9 in Miami.

• ...give SU at least 19 wins through 27 games for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

SERIES HISTORY

• Miami holds a 17-6 lead in the all-time series and a 9-2 edge in Coral Gables.

• The teams have not met since the 2003-04 season, when they were both in the BIG EAST. No. 22/21 Miami won that last meeting, 85-65, on Feb. 18, 2004 at Manley Field House. Julie McBride led all scorers with 31 points, becoming SU's then-all-time leading scorer with 1,557. She is now fourth overall (1,605).

• SU's last win was also the last time the teams played at Miami. The Orange won, 62-59, on Jan. 25, 2003 at the Miami Convocation Center (now BankUnited Center) less than a month after it opened. McBride scored nine of her game-high 22 points in the final four minutes.

SCOUTING THE HURRICANES

• Miami is 13-12 overall and 5-7 in ACC play.

• The Hurricanes are No. 83 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings announced on Monday.

• Miami is coming off a 76-73 win at Florida State on Sunday. It has lost two home games previous to that, vs. Georgia Tech (89-87) and Maryland (67-52).

• The 'canes beat North Carolina (83-80) in the game after SU's win over the Tar Heels.

• Miami features a balanced scoring attack with five players averaging between 8.8 and 11.3 points per game.

• Sophomore 5-9 guard Caprice Dennis is the top scorer at 11.3 ppg and has hit 32 3-pointers.

• Freshman 5-9 guard Adrienne Motley is the other double-figure scorer at 10.9 ppg.

• Senior 5-8 guard Krystal Saunders (8.8 ppg) is an outside shooting threat with 54 triples on the season in 166 attempts (.325).

• Katie Meier (Duke '90) is in her ninth season. She led the team to a 21-11 record in 2012-13 with a 11-7 result in ACC play.

IN THE POLLS

• Syracuse was previously ranked for five straight weeks in the AP poll and a total of three weeks in the coaches poll this season.

• The Orange was ranked an all-time program high 20th in the Dec. 23 and Dec. 30 AP polls. It was as high as No. 23 in the coaches poll on Dec. 23.

• The Orange debuted in the AP poll on Dec. 2 at No. 22 and was ranked for four-straight weeks.

LAST TIME OUT

• Brianna Butler scored 25 points, tying her career high with seven 3-pointer, to lead Syracuse to a 71-47 victory at Boston College (12-15, 3-10 ACC) on Sunday afternoon.

• Butler shot 7-of-14 from 3-point range, one shy of the school record, leading the Orange's 13-of-29 (44.8 percent) effort behind the arc. La'Shay Taft was 4-of-7 from long range for 12 points and Rachel Coffey was 2-of-5 on her way to 10 points to go along with her game-high six assists. Brittney Sykes scored 14 points, giving SU four players in double figures.

• The Orange forced 18 BC turnovers, resulting in 28 points, while turning it over a season-low six times.

ORANGE UPSETS #6 TAR HEELS

• Brianna Butler scored 17 of her game-high 22 points in the second half as Syracuse came back from an 18-point deficit to upset No. 6 North Carolina, 78-73, on Jan. 30 at Carmichael Arena. SU outscored the Heels, 46-23, over the final 18:40.

• Brittney Sykes added 17 points, while Briana Day had 11 points, nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks.

• The only higher ranked team Syracuse has ever defeated were No. 2 Connecticut, 62-59, on Jan. 2, 1996 at Manley Field House. It matches the Orange's 75-66 win over No. 6 Ohio State on Dec. 11, 2010 at the Carrier Dome as the highest ranked team beaten in head coach Quentin Hillsman's tenure.

WINS VS. RANKED TEAMS

• Syracuse's come-from-behind 78-73 upset win at No. 6 North Carolina on Jan. 30 is the highest ranked road win in program history and is tied for second overall.

• SU's 15-point win over the No. 12/11 Texas A&M on Nov. 30 is the fifth-highest ranked opponent the Orange has ever beaten.

• Four of the top five ranked teams SU has ever beaten have come in Quentin Hillsman's tenure as head coach.

MASTER THIEVES

• With an aggressive fullcourt press and trapping 2-3 zone defense, the Orange boasts the second-best turnover margin in the ACC (22nd nationally) at +5.0 and has produced an average of 22.0 points per game this season off its opponents' 19.9 turnovers per game.

• SU has scored 20 or more points off turnovers in five of its last eight games, including 28 in its last game at BC.

• Syracuse scored a season-high 53 points off 31 turnovers in its 113-42 win vs. Maryland Eastern Shore. SU totaled 18 steals by nine different players.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL

• Syracuse features some of the top ball-handling play-makers in the ACC, resulting in some of best assist-to-turnovers in the league.

• Point guard Rachel Coffey has the ACC's best assist-to-turnover in conference play at 2.7 (46-17) and the fourth-best overall at 2.0 (103-51).

• Brianna Butler has the second-best ratio on the team at 2.0 (69-35), which would be fifthth in the ACC if she had enough to qualify.

• SU surrenders just 15.2 ppg off its turnovers, resulting in a +6.8 margin in points per game off turnovers.

CRASHING THE GLASS

• SU is second in the ACC in offensive rebounds per game at 16.8, grabbing 39.8 percent of the opportunities.

• The Orange has turned the offensive boards into 13.2 second-chance points per game.

• Last season, SU led the BIG EAST in offensive rebounds (17.6), ranked second in total rebounds per game (44.0), and was fourth in rebounding margin (+5.5).

UP NEXT
• Syracuse hosts its final home game of the regular season on Sunday when Pitt comes to the Carrier Dome for a 1 p.m. tip-off.
• It will be Senior Day on Sunday, so be sure to arrive early as seniors Phylesha Bullard, Rachel Coffey, Shakeya Leary and La'Shay Taft will be honored just prior to the game.
• SU is hosting a Kids Carnival in the backcourt on Sunday. It will feature face-painting by the SU Dance Team, games, prizes and other activities.

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