Syracuse Tops Miami in ACC Opener

UPDATE: According to a source, Tiana Mangakahia

Kamilla Cardoso was dominant in the first half and Tiana Mangakahia took over the second as 18th ranked Syracuse knocked off previously unbeaten Miami 69-58 in Coral Gables (FL). It was the ACC opener for both squads, and Syracuse improved to 4-0 (1-0) with the win while the Hurricanes dropped to 3-1 (0-1).

Cardoso's length was too much for Miami to handle in the first half. She racked up 12 of her 14 points in the first two quarters and grabbed seven of her eight rebounds. She was the best player on the floor altering shots defensively, controlling the glass, and scoring in the low post offensively.

In the second half, Cardoso dealt with foul trouble and had to sit for an extended period. That is when Tiana took over. Mangakahia was the best player on the floor in the second half, scoring all 14 of her points after intermission. She dished out seven assists. She limped off the court late in the fourth quarter and was in obvious pain. However, her injury is not considered serious per a source.

Syracuse used a 7-0 spurt in the first half to gain some breathing room, and never looked back. After pushing the lead to double digits, Miami never got closer than five. When they did cut into the lead, the Orange responded with runs of their own.

Syracuse opened the game on a 9-0 run, but Miami battled back to take a 15-14 lead. It would be their last lead of the game. A 10-0 Orange run early in the second quarter and 6-0 spurt early in the fourth were the difference for Syracuse who largely controlled the flow of the game.

The Orange defense held Miami to just 29.2% shooting and forced the Hurricanes into 20 turnovers. Syracuse was dominant inside with a 50-42 rebounding advantage and 34-16 edge in points in the paint.

Next up for Syracuse is a home tilt with in-state foe Binghamton. That game tips at 6:00 p.m. eastern on Sunday, December 13th.

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