Syracuse Women’s Basketball Falls Short Against No. 9 UNC Despite Second-Half Rally

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse women’s basketball returned to the JMA Wireless Dome after a tough trip to California, where they suffered losses to Stanford (79-58) and Cal (75-69). Despite a strong effort in the second half, the Orange fell short against No. 9 North Carolina, losing 68-58 on Thursday. This loss came down to two key factors, early turnovers and points allowed in the paint.

Georgia Woolley playing defense on the arch against North Carolina Trayanna Crisp.
Georgia Woolley battles back on the defensive end. Photo Credit: Mary Genrich

Turnovers Hurt Syracuse, But Defense Forces UNC Mistakes 

Turnovers proved costly, particularly in the second quarter when the game started to slip away. With Syracuse trailing 17-16, the Orange had a chance to take the lead after a missed layup by UNC’s Reniya Kelly. However, a series of costly mistakes turned the momentum in UNC’s favor. Grace Townsend stole the ball and scored, and Syracuse followed up with two more turnovers on their next possessions, putting them down 22-19 late in the quarter.

“We will come together this week…we just have to execute what the game plan is,” Georgia Woolley said.

These self-inflicted mistakes continued to haunt the Orange throughout the game. By halftime, they had committed 11 turnovers, allowing UNC to capitalize with 12 points off those errors. The Tar Heels finished with 19 points off turnovers, which ultimately sealed the deal. 

However, turnovers were an issue for UNC as well. Syracuse’s defense proved its ability to disrupt a top-10 team, forcing 15 second-half turnovers. The Orange converted those mistakes into 12 points as they fought back into the game. Syracuse finished the game with 20 total turnovers, the only other team to force over 20 on this UNC team this season was Duke.  

Izabel Varejão fights for a Syracuse possession on the floor against two UNC defenders.
Izabel Varejão fights for a Syracuse possession in the paint. Photo Credit: Mary Genrich

Points in the paint 

UNC dominated the paint, scoring 40 of their 68 points inside, including 15 on second-chance opportunities. In comparison, Syracuse managed just 20 points in the paint. Maria Gakdeng was a key force down low for the Tar Heels, contributing 14 points in the paint and finishing with a game-high 21 points, the most of any player on the roster. 

“We talked about getting around coming to a full front and tracking the ball and we didn’t do it,” head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said. “We totally missed the game plan on this… and it’s unfortunate we didn’t make that adjustment.” 

Freshman Olivia Schmitt going up for a three-pointer against North Carolinas defense.
Freshman Olivia Schmitt is making her impact from the three-point line. Photo Credit: Mary Genrich

Freshman Talent Stepping Up

Freshman point guard Olivia Schmitt took on the challenge of battling back in the second half, maintaining her composure in a big way for this Orange team. Her three-pointers came at crucial moments, with just minutes to go in the third. After an assist from Izabel Varejão, Schmitt sank a three to cut the lead to nine. Less than a minute later, with another assist from freshman Madeline Potts, Schmitt hit another three, making it 48-40. Schmitt finished the game with three three-pointers and a total of nine points.

“All my threes were kind of wide open,” Schmitt said. “So, I knew I had to knock them down….when I come into the game, I have to make an impact, and that comes with making my shots.” 

Aside from her scoring, her composure on the defensive end as a freshman against the No. 9 team did not go unnoticed. In the fourth quarter, she registered four steals, including one with 48 seconds remaining as the Orange tried to battle back.   

Syracuse (10-16, 4-11 ACC) will travel to North Carolina to face Duke Feb 23 at 2 p.m.