North Carolina women's basketball struggles against No. 20 Syracuse, loses 95-64

The UNC women’s basketball team traveled to No. 20 Syracuse to take on the Orange on Sunday. UNC (13-12, 2-10 ACC) fell behind early and couldn't climb back into the game, losing by a final score of 95-64.

Syracuse (18-8, 9-4 ACC) was led by Alexis Peterson, who had 27 points.

What happened?

UNC could not keep up as Syracuse burst out of the gate on Sunday. This contest started off bad and just got worse for the Tar Heels. A seven-point deficit after the first quarter grew to a 17-point margin heading into intermission.

Syracuse was able to stymie UNC by playing safe basketball. The Orange only turned the ball over nine times — exactly half as many as UNC’s 18.

Destinee Walker’s 12.4 points per game were missed severely this afternoon. Having her as a scoring option helps to free up space for some of the other players on the team.

The Tar Heel offense seemed a little out of synch in the early portions of the game, as the Orange seemingly made it a point of emphasis to keep UNC star players, Paris Kea and Stephanie Watts, from beating them. Kea was able to shake off the defense and score 27 points, but Watts was held to just seven points on 2-of-9 shooting.

A 33-point third quarter for Syracuse put the game out of reach for good.

Who stood out?

Even after a slow start, Paris Kea was able to throw in 27 points for UNC. She scored all those baskets without managing to connect from beyond the arc, as Kea finishing 0-for-4 from deep. North Carolina went just 4-for-23 from deep on the afternoon.

With UNC being outmatched in height, Stephanie Watts stepped up in the paint. The sophomore finished with 10 rebounds; the next highest Tar Heel was Taylor Koenen with five.

When was it decided?

Syracuse led this one from tip-off to the final buzzer. The Orange buried the Tar Heels for good with a 33-point third quarter, pushing its already sizable margin up to 27.

Why does it matter?

The loss dropped UNC to just one game above .500. At this point, the Tar Heels will need to rally together and pick up plenty of big wins to have a shot at the NCAA Tournament.

The young UNC women's basketball team has struggled on the road this season, especially in conference play. However, North Carolina has found some solace at home. The team is 10-4 In Carmichael this season and will have a chance to rebound from the loss in a home contest later this week.

Where do they play next?

The Tar Heels play next on Thursday at 7 p.m. against Georgia Tech.

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