UNC women's basketball falls to Syracuse 74-56, after sloppy play and poor shooting

The North Carolina women’s basketball team’s shooting woes continued in its third straight loss of the season, shooting under 33 percent from the field in a 74-56 defeat to Syracuse on Thursday night. 

Head coach Courtney Banghart’s team had yet to lose back-to-back games before they played Duke last Thursday, but after the team’s toughest week of the season they have now slipped from the top-4 to the middle of the pack in ACC standings.

What happened?

Sloppy play from both sides kept scoring at a minimum for most of the first quarter. Syracuse threw a number of defensive sets at the Tar Heels early, including a 3-2 zone and along with a 1-2-1 full court trap. 

UNC was able to easily circumnavigate the full court pressure, only to miss open shots in the paint and outside the arc.

The lid finally came off the basket as guard Madinah Muhammad and Leah Church found the bottom of the net on two deep 3s to give UNC a brief lead, eventually closing the opening corner down 16-17. 

However, Syracuse continued to push the Tar Heels in the second quarter. Punishing on-ball pressure from junior guard Kiara Lewis forced eight first-half turnovers from the Tar Heels, who entered the game with an ACC-low 291 giveaways on the season. 

Uncharacteristic turnovers led to an uncharacteristically slow start from senior team captain Taylor Koenen, who went 0-7 from the field and 0-3 from deep as her team allowed the Orange to extend their lead to 10 halfway through the second quarter.

The offense was able to stabilize momentarily behind low-post finishes from first-year forward Malu Tshitenge and junior center Janelle Bailey, but a series of 3s from Syracuse granted them a comfortable 35-23 lead going into halftime. 

Koenen was finally able to convert her first bucket of the night with 5:48 left in the third quarter, which seemed to signal a change in fortune for UNC. However, each time the Tar Heels made a play that seemed to prove their mastery of the press and change Carmichael Arena’s momentum, the Orange responded with a bucket of their own. 

Syracuse built a 22-point lead going into the fourth quarter, the two teams traded punches back and forth for the remainder of the game, but 14 turnovers and a porous defense allowed Syracuse to finish out the game ahead, 74-56.

Who stood out?

Lewis, a redshirt junior, terrorized ball-handlers as the point in Syracuse's zone. Her non-stop defensive effort throughout the first three quarters stifled UNC ball handlers like Muhammad and Shayla Bennett, and prevented them from settling in and facilitating the offense.

 The general tenacity of Syracuse’s full-court defense was a game changer, and it wore down a UNC team that relies on a 6-7 person rotation for most of the game. 

When was it decided?

After a cold start, the Tar Heels never seemed to grab a hold of the game. 

UNC cut the lead to seven with 8:33 left in the third, only to watch Syracuse go on a 23-8 tear to end the quarter. With a well-balanced offense comprised of capable 3-pointer shooters and bruising scorers down low, UNC appeared outpaced and outmatched during this crucial stretch of the game.

Why does it matter?

With 14 turnovers, this game alters UNC's reputation as one that takes care of the ball. On Thursday night, North Carolina lost its status as the only ACC team with fewer than 300 turnovers. The sloppy performance will be one that the Tar Heels will need to put behind them as they prepare for a three-game road trip before facing Duke again in March. 

This loss also marks coach Banghart’s first significant losing streak as a Tar Heel. With an emotional loss to Duke to begin the week, and then two more sloppy showings from her team, Banghart’s resolve will be tested as she seeks to guide UNC back to the NCAA Tournament.

Where do they play next?

The North Carolina women’s basketball team will look to end its three game losing skid on Sunday at Noon, where it will take on Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Ma.

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