@CanesWBB Rides Guard Play to Top Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh5579Miami

TEAM STATS
FGs	24-66	31-59
3FGs	3-15	8-13
Free Throws	4-10	9-17
Rebounds	33	46
Blocks	3	5
Steals	10	12
Assists	15	18
Turnovers	20	23

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
	POINTS			REBOUNDS
	Wise	15		Carey	9
	Motley	20		Woods	9
	ASSISTS			BLOCKS
	Three Players	3		Three Players	1
	Woods	9		Hof	4
	3FG			STEALS
	Lamb	3-4		Carey	4
	Motley	4-4		Three Players	3

INFOGRAPHIC
Click here to enlarge

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s basketball team got back in the win column Thursday night at the BankUnited Center, rolling past Pittsburgh, 79-55.

Junior guard Adrienne Motley scored 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting (72.7 percent) and Michelle Woods nearly recorded a triple-double in the win. The redshirt senior finished with 11 points, a co-game-high nine rebounds and a game- and career-high nine assists.

“Chelle is just a problem-solver. We talk about feeding each other and having spoons that are too long to feed yourself. So, go across the table and feed your teammate,” Miami head coach Katie Meier said. “She was doing that all night, just feeding and feeding. She had real positive energy, was really caring about other people and making the right basketball play.”

The Hurricanes forced Pittsburgh (8-7, 0-2 ACC) into seven turnovers in the first period and took a 13-12 lead after 10 minutes of action.

Miami opened the second quarter on a 10-0 run that included a pair of 3-pointers by Motley. The Hurricanes made four-straight field goals during the run and held the Panthers scoreless for the first three minutes and six seconds of the second session, grabbing a 23-12 lead.

Overall, the Hurricanes outscored Pittsburgh 24-10 in the second quarter and led by 15, 37-22, at the break. Motley capped the frame with a jump shot just seconds before the buzzer and led all scorers at halftime with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 at the line. Woods had seven assists in the first 20 minutes, tying her career high for a full game.

Miami’s offense continued to click in the third period and the Hurricanes extended their lead to 25 on multiple occasions. After Pittsburgh trimmed it back down to 20, Miami ended the session on a 9-0 run that ended with a layup by freshman forward/center Emese Hof with just two seconds on the clock. The 29-point lead, 66-37, was Miami’s largest of the game to that point.

In the final session, the Hurricanes continued to build that advantage and led by as much as 33, en route to their 14th victory of the season. Miami moved to 10-0 at home on the year with the 24-point win.

The Hurricanes shot a season-best 52.5 percent (31-of-59) overall and had their best shooting half of the season at 64.0 percent (16-of-25) in the second half.

“We’ll win a lot of games overall if we’re shooting that percentage,” Meier said, “but we’ll lose a lot if we keep turning it over. We’re just about there on our offense in terms of our flow and our early looks.”

In addition to the strong the performances by Motley, who was 4-of-4 from 3-point range, and Woods, redshirt junior forward Keyona Hayes was superb in the frontcourt for Miami. She set a season high with 15 points and made all seven of her field goal attempts.

Three players finished the game in double figures for the Panthers, with freshman guard/forward Brenna Wise posting a team-high 15 points. Freshman guard Tania Lamb added 12 points and freshman forward Kalista Walters chipped in with 11.

The Hurricanes quadrupled Pittsburgh in fast break points, leading 24-6, and also had an 18-8 edge in second chance points.

Miami will continue its ACC slate this weekend when it travels to Clemson, S.C., to face the Tigers Sunday at 4 p.m. at Jervey Gym.

To stay updated on the University of Miami women’s basketball team throughout the season, follow @CanesWBB.

MIAMI HURRICANES POSTGAME NOTES

·         For the fifth game in a row, Miami started Hayes, Hof, Motley, Jessica Thomas and Woods.

·         The all-time series between the Hurricanes and Panthers is now 18-9. Miami is 11-3 in the last 14 matchups, including 6-1 in the past seven. Additionally, the Hurricanes are now 13-1 at home against Pittsburgh.

·         Meier is now 273-181 in her 15 seasons as a head coach, including 197-136 in her 11 years at Miami. She is three victories away from 200 in her career at Miami.

·         The Hurricanes have scored at least 70 points 13 times in 16 games. They did so on 12 occasions in all of 2014-15.

·         Eight of Miami’s 14 wins have come by greater than 20 points.

·         Prior to shooting 52.5 percent (31-of-59) tonight, Miami’s best field goal percentage of the season had been 51.6 percent (33-of-64) vs. La Salle (11/29/15).

·         Before shooting 64.0 percent (16-of-25) in the second half tonight, the Hurricanes’ best field goal percentage in a half this year had been 57.6 percent (19-of-33) in the first half vs. La Salle (11/29/15).

·         Miami did not trail at any point in the game and led for over 39 minutes.

·         Woods’ nine assists eclipsed her prior career best of seven (vs. Wright State, 11/13/15).

·         Woods has nine-plusrebounds in two of the last four games after never recording nine in a game previously.

·         Motley passed Cordelia Fulmore for No. 18 on the program’s all-time scoring list. She currently has 1,152 points.

·         Motley has recorded over a dozen points in 12 of 16 games this season, with 17-plus in 10 of them. She has tallied 20-plus points 17 times in her career, including five times this season.

·         Additionally, Motley tied her season best with three steals (previously recorded multiple times, most recently at Charlotte, 11/23/15). Her four 3-pointers made also matched her most in ACC play (previously at Wake Forest, 2/26/15).

·         Hayes’ 15 points surpassed her prior season best of 14 and her seven made field goals equaled her season high (both previous vs. Wright State, 11/13/15).

·         Hof doubled her career best with four blocks (previous high two, recorded multiple times, most recently vs. Baylor, 12/19/15).

·         Hof also eclipsed both 150 points and 100 rebounds in her career.

·         Laura Cornelius’ five assists matched her career best (previously recorded multiple times, most recently vs. UMass Lowell, 12/6/15). Her three steals set a new career high (previous high two, recorded multiple times, most recently vs. Baylor, 12/19/15).

·         Cornelius also surpassed 100 points in the first year of her career.

·         Thomas earned the 50th start of her career. She has been in the starting lineup in 48 of 49 games over the past two seasons.

·         Thomas also surpassed 650 points as a collegian.

·         In addition, Thomas’ three 3-pointers made matched her season best (previously recorded multiple times, most recently vs. FIU, 12/30/15).

·         Erykah Davenport set new career highs in free throws made (six) and attempted (eight). Previously, her top mark in makes was three (vs. Illinois State, 11/28/14) and her best mark in attempts was five (vs. La Salle, 11/29/15).

·         Davenport also reached 200 rebounds as a Hurricane.

·         Keyanna Harris‘ five points matched her career best in an ACC game (previous at Syracuse, 2/12/15). Her four rebounds set a new career high in ACC play (previous high two, recorded multiple times, most recently at Virginia, 1/3/16).

·         Additionally, Harris’ 13 minutes played were her most in an ACC game (previous high 11, recorded multiple times, most recently at Virginia, 1/3/16).

·         Khaila Prather‘s four free throw attempts equaled her career high in ACC play (previously recorded multiple times, most recently vs. NC State, 12/30/15).