No. 25 Orange Knocks Off No. 13/11 UNC

Thursday, February 5

Syracuse, N.Y.

7 p.m.

Syracuse University

16-7, 6-4

#13/11 North Carolina

18-5, 5-4

North Carolina

Syracuse

2/5/2015 10:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Syracuse defeats first top 25 opponent of the season

Syracuse, N.Y. – The No. 25 Syracuse University women's basketball team knocked off No. 13/11 North Carolina, 61-56, Thursday night at the Carrier Dome, marking the Orange's first win against a ranked team this season. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak, improving Syracuse's overall record to 16-7.

"We talked about just getting a top-25 win, and tonight was a huge win for us and for our season," head coach Quentin Hillsman said. "We knew coming into this game that this was going to be a major part of the rest of our season, getting this W at home."

Sophomore guard Alexis Peterson led the Orange with 20 points and junior forward Taylor Ford contributed 12, marking her third consecutive game in double-digits. Sophomore center Briana Day dominated down under with a team-high 11 rebounds.

After a slow start for both teams offensively in the opening minutes, the Tar Heels lit a spark and proceeded to go on a 7-0 run. Syracuse continued to struggle offensively, going 1-for-14, until a 3-point field goal from Ford got the Orange back on track.

A field goal from junior guard Brianna Butler and back-to-back turnovers from the Tar Heels shifted the momentum of the game at the 6:55 mark in the first half. Shots continued to fall for the Orange with two consecutive 3-pointers from Peterson, fueling an 18-4 run.

A 3-point field goal from senior guard Maggie Morrison with 20 seconds left in the half put the Orange up by 10, its largest lead of the game. Despite North Carolina leading the majority of the half, Syracuse surged late to end the half with a 29-19 lead.

Sophomore forward Isabella Slim kicked off the second half with a jumper, marking the ninth different player for Syracuse to put points on the board in the game. Another three from Peterson put the Orange up 37-26 at the 17:22 mark. The Tar Heels went on a small run and came within four points of the Orange eight minutes into the second half to set the score at 41-37.

North Carolina continued to pull closer to the Orange with a three from senior guard Latifah Coleman, inching them to within two with 6:30 left in the game, 49-47. The Tar Heels answered immediately with another 3-pointer to put them up by one at the 5:18 mark. A lay-up by Peterson followed by a 3-pointer from Ford shifted the tide towards the Orange, pulling away from North Carolina, 57-50. Free throws made from both sides of the court defined the last 20 seconds of the game, but the Orange held on to defeat No. 13 North Carolina, 61-56.

The Orange is back in action this Sunday when it takes on Georgia Tech on the road. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. in Atlanta.