@CanesWBB Dominates NC State in ACC Opener

NC State4473#22/20 Miami

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CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s basketball team began ACC play in style Wednesday night, topping NC State 73-44 at the BankUnited Center.

Led by a career-high 20 points by freshman guard Laura Cornelius, who connected on all six of her 3-point attempts, No. 22/20 Miami (13-1, 1-0 ACC) won its ACC opener for the fourth-straight season and trailed for just 12 seconds.

Cornelius became the first Hurricane ever to go 6-of-6 from beyond the arc and the eighth to make six-plus 3-pointers in a contest. It is the 16th time total a Hurricane has hit at least a half dozen shots from long range in a game.

“She’s just a great spirit, such a great person. When good things happen to good people, everybody celebrates and I think she really, really lifted our team tonight,” Miami head coach Katie Meier said of Cornelius. “Both her and Emese Hof sacrificed a lot to come here because they wanted to play in this conference. So to see her just jubilant on the court makes me happy. It makes everybody happy because she works so hard on her game. We need her. She’s a big time player.”

Miami jumped out to a 17-8 lead through one quarter of play after closing the period on an 8-0 run over the final three minutes and six minutes. After the Wolfpack made their first shot of the game, Miami limited them to just two makes on their next 17 attempts, a stretch that went into the early second period.

After hitting a 3-pointer during Miami’s run to close the opening period, Cornelius connected on two more in the first two minutes of the second session. Her hot shooting helped Miami stretch its lead to as much as 17 in a second quarter during which seven different Hurricanes scored.

Sophomore forward Khaila Prather capped the first half with a pair of free throws with half a second on the clock to make it 38-23 at halftime. It marked the 12th-straight meeting in which Miami led the Wolfpack at the break, including the eighth-straight by double figures.

Miami held NC State (9-5, 0-1 ACC) to 8-of-31 shooting (25.8 percent) in the opening 20 minutes, including just 4-of-17 (23.5 percent) on shots within the 3-point line. Cornelius’ 11 points led all scorers at the intermission.

As was the case in the previous period, seven Hurricanes scored during the third quarter as Miami ran out to a 25-point lead, 61-36, through 30 minutes of action.

After the Hurricanes closing the third period with seven-straight points, Cornelius opened the final session by knocking down one of her career-best six 3-pointers to make it a 10-0 run and put Miami up by 28.

Miami’s eventual 29-point margin of victory was its biggest lead of the game. It also matched the Hurricanes’ largest win in ACC play since a 79-42 victory over Clemson on Jan. 15, 2015, nearly a full year ago.

“It’s a whole different level,” Meier said of ACC play and the team’s strong start. “A different level of focus is required when you come off break and you’ve got to get them back. We were playing so well. I thought that Laura Cornelius was absolutely the show, but somebody like Khaila Prather, she’s such an ACC player. She helps you win ACC games and that’s the first person I talked about in the locker room.”

In addition to Cornelius’ 20 points in just 24 minutes of play, junior guard Jessica Thomas posted 14 points, five rebounds and a co-game-high four assists, while redshirt senior guard Michelle Woods added 11 points.

Junior guard Miah Spencer and redshirt junior guard Dominique Wilson each tallied 11 points for the Wolfpack.

The Hurricanes outscored NC State 26-10 in the paint and 27-13 in bench points, while holding the Wolfpack to 14-of-57 shooting (24.6 percent) from the floor.

Miami is set to begin its conference road slate Sunday when it faces Virginia at 1 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va.

To learn more about University of Miami women’s basketball, follow @CanesWBB.

MIAMI HURRICANES POSTGAME NOTES

·         For the third game in a row, Miami’s starting five was Keyona Hayes, Hof, Adrienne Motley, Thomas and Woods.

·         The all-time time series between Miami and NC State is now 10-9 in favor of the Wolfpack. The Hurricanes have won nine of the last 11 meetings, including eight of the past nine and six in a row at home.

·         Meier is now 272-180 in her 15 seasons as a head coach, including 196-135 in her 11 years at Miami. She is four victories away from 200 in her career at Miami.

·         Miami’s double-digit halftime leads over NC State in the last eight meetings have been as follows: 15 tonight, 18 on 2/19/15, 11 on 1/19/14, 10 on 2/21/13, 24 on 12/20/12, 12 on 2/16/12, 19 on 1/5/12 and 12 on 3/4/11.

·         The prior four-straight games Miami led at the break were as follows: six on 1/27/11, six on 2/14/10, 15 on 1/22/09 and one on 2/14/08.

·         The Hurricanes held NC State to just eight points in both the first period and the fourth period.

·         This is the fourth-straight year Miami has won its ACC opener.

·         The Hurricanes have scored at least 70 points 12 times in 14 games.

·         Seven of Miami’s 13 wins have come by greater than 25 points.

·         The last time Miami allowed fewer than 45 points in an ACC game was in a 42-39 win over Virginia Tech on 2/5/15.

·         Miami’s 52.9 percent clip (9-of-17) from 3-point range was its second-best of the season, behind only a 58.3 percent outing (7-of-12) vs. La Salle (11/29/15).

·         The Hurricanes’ 14 made free throws tied their season best (previous vs. Coppin State, 12/4/15) and their 21 attempts were the team’s second-most this season behind only the same Coppin State game.

·         Prior to Cornelius 6-of-6 outing tonight, the most 3-point makes in a game without a miss by a Hurricane was five by Shenise Johnson (vs. Prairie View A&M, 11/17/11).

·         Cornelius’ 20 points and six made 3-pointers eclipsed her previous career bests of 12 and four respectively, both set vs. Indiana (12/20/15).

·         With six made field goals, Cornelius also set a new career high (previous high four, recorded multiple times, most recently vs. Indiana, 12/20/15). Her seven field goal attempts matched her top career mark (previously recorded multiple times, most recently vs. FIU, 12/22/15).

·         This was the third double-digit scoring game of Cornelius’ career.

·         Cornelius attempted and made the first two free throws of her collegiate career. Additionally, she surpassed 50 field goal attempts as a Hurricane.

·         Over the last three games, Cornelius is 12-of-17 (70.6 percent) from 3-point range.

·         This marked the 75th start of Motley’s career.

·         Woods has now scored double figures in three of the last four games and six times overall this season.

·         Woods also connected on the 150th made free throw of her career.

·         Prather equaled her career best with three made free throws (previously recorded multiple times, most recently vs. FIU, 12/22/15). It is the first time in her career she has made three free throws in an ACC game.

·         Thomas has now logged double-digit points in 10 of 14 games this season.

·         Thomas’ five made free throws set a new season best (previous high three, recorded multiple times, most recently vs. Coppin State, 12/4/15). Her eight free throw attempts also set a season high (previous high five, at Charlotte, 11/23/15).

·         Zada Williams logged the first blocked shot of her career.

·         Hof surpassed 250 minutes played as a Hurricane.