Highlights & Recap: Syracuse Tops #14 North Carolina
Syracuse women’s basketball gave North Carolina their second straight loss to an ACC team on the road.
It’s the first win over a ranked opponent in the Head Coach Felisha Legette-Jack era, and the Orange’s first win over a ranked opponent since December 1, 2021, when they beat Ohio State 97-91.
Alaina Rice opened the night’s scoring, but the Tar Heels would take their largest lead of the game, seven points, within the first four minutes.
After multiple lead changes, the Orange would head into the half trailing by two points.
In the locker room, Dyaisha Fair said Coach Jack asked the team what they were playing for.
“Why are we wearing pink jerseys?” Fair said Coach Jack asked, referencing Breast Cancer Awareness night with Play4Kay.
“[And] it showed when we came out in the second half,” Fair said.
Syracuse went on a 10 point run coming out of the locker room, with seven of those points coming from Woolley. The Orange outscored the Tar Heels 31-14 in the third quarter, the highest total a team has scored in a quarter against North Carolina in ACC play this season. 21 of those points came from Fair and Woolley, 11 and 10 points respectively.
“We had that energy from our defense,” Woolley said. “[The shots] have to fall when we play the way we were playing.”
The Orange would take their largest lead of the night, 16 points, with just under 7 minutes to go in the fourth.
While Fair led the Orange in scoring with 23 points and Woolley had 20 of her own, making it her fifth consecutive game scoring 15 or more points, Dariauna Lewis recorded her ninth double-double of the season, having 14 points and 14 rebounds.
“I did not show my potential to the ACC yet and I feel like it was time for me to do that,” Lewis said. “I give myself a 10 out of 10. Can’t nobody stop me.”
North Carolina’s Deja Kelly led all scorers with 32 points, making it her second 30-point game as a Tar Heel.
As for the next ranked opponents on the Orange’s schedule, Lewis had one thing to say.
“Knock off the next two.”
The first of those two matchups will be No. 10 Notre Dame, which the Orange will travel to play this coming Sunday, Feb. 12 at 4 p.m. Then to Tallahassee, FL for No. 19 Florida State next Thursday.
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