@CanesWBB Posts 34-Point Road Win at Clemson

Miami8349Clemson

TEAM STATS
FGs	27-55	20-40
3FGs	12-23	1-6
Free Throws	17-27	8-17
Rebounds	29	28
Blocks	2	1
Steals	12	8
Assists	18	11
Turnovers	12	26

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
	POINTS			REBOUNDS
	Motley	18		Hof	5
	Perry	14		Collier	8
	ASSISTS			BLOCKS
	Thomas	7		Woods / Davenport	1
	Perry	4		Collier	1
	3FG			STEALS
	Cornelius	5-8		Four Players	2
	Perry	1-4		Cardaci	3

INFOGRAPHIC
Click here to enlarge

CLEMSON, S.C. – The University of Miami women’s basketball team jumped out to a 26-2 lead at Clemson Sunday evening and never looked back, en route to a 83-49 victory.

Miami (15-2, 3-1 ACC) junior guard Adrienne Motley opened the game with back-to-back 3-pointers in the first minute, immediately setting the tone for the contest, and led all scorers with 18 points in the win.

“Well, we needed to do that,” Miami head coach Katie Meier said of getting a big win on the road. “Our last road trip—I told the team before the game today, we got a lesson then. We don’t need another lesson. So, let’s take care of the ball, which we did beautifully in the first half, and give them a lesson, which hopefully we did.”

After Motley’s game-opening 3-pointers, fellow junior guard Jessica Thomas then scored five-straight points, including a 3-pointer of her own, as Miami jumped out to an 11-0 lead after just two minutes of play.

The Hurricanes made their first five shots, including four from beyond the arc—two by Motley and two by Thomas. In the first quarter as a whole, Miami shot 9-of-16 (56.3 percent) from the field and 6-of-9 (66.7 percent) from the beyond the arc, as freshman guard Laura Cornelius also hit a pair of 3-pointers.

Meanwhile, Miami held the Tigers to 2-of-8 (25.0 percent) overall and 0-of-1 from long range in the first 10 minutes, while forcing 10 turnovers that led to 17 points and committed just two turnovers for zero Clemson (4-11, 0-2 ACC) points. The Hurricanes scored 26 of the first 28 points and led 26-4 through 10 minutes of play.

In the second quarter, Motley again hit consecutive 3-pointers to make it 39-8 with 5:53 left before the intermission. The Hurricanes would go on to take a 47-15 lead into the locker room at halftime after shooting 10-of-15 (66.7 percent) from beyond the arc in the first two periods.

Motley led all scorers with 14 points at the break and the Hurricanes had 23-0 edge in points off turnovers, while forcing 14 giveaways and conceding just three. Miami’s 47 points at the break marked its most in the opening half this season, while its 15 points allowed were its fewest in the first 20 minutes.

“What they did was play very mature, very focused and very unselfish. It was just beautiful basketball,” Meier said the start to the game. “Our assist to field goal percentage was great. We had 12 assists to 15 field goals at halftime. It was our starters. They set the tone. They said, ‘This is how we’re going to play. This is what Miami is known for this year.’ It was beautiful basketball and I think we would have beaten a lot of teams tonight the way we played that first half.”

Thomas opened the second half by connecting on her third 3-pointer of the game and the 100th of her career. Miami stretched its lead to as many as 40 points in the third period and eventually led 69-35 entering the last 10 minutes of action.

Clemson did not cut the deficit any lower than 32 points in the final period and the Hurricanes took the game by 34 points. Miami’s last 30-point ACC victory also came against the Tigers, as Miami topped Clemson by 37 last season.

In addition to Motley, who shot 4-of-6 from 3-point range, three other Hurricanes also posted double digits in the scoring column in the win. Cornelius finished with 17 points, the second-most of her career, and shot 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. Thomas added 13 points to go along with a career-high-tying seven assists, while sophomore forward/center Erykah Davenport had season-high-tying 12 points for the Hurricanes.

“Laura is playing very, very well. In the ACC season she has certainly lifted her game and then Erykah needed a game like this, I think, because she’s been working so hard,” Meier said. “I’m really happy for her because she’s been putting in the time and showing great leadership. So, her coming off the bench makes us really dangerous.”

Sophomore wing Nelly Perry was the lone Tiger to finish with double figures, recording 14 points. Miami forced 26 turnovers and gave the ball away 12 times en route to a 34-7 final edge in points off turnovers. The Hurricanes’ bench also doubled up Clemson’s, 32-16.

Additionally, Miami finished the game 12-of-23 (52.2 percent) from 3-point range, while Clemson was 1-of-6 (16.7 percent) beyond the arc. The Hurricanes’ 12 makes tied their season high.

The Hurricanes will be back in action Thursday at 7 p.m. when they host Wake Forest at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla.

For more information on University of Miami women’s basketball, follow @CanesWBB.

MIAMI HURRICANES POSTGAME NOTES

·         For the sixth-straight game, Miami starting lineup consisted of Keyona Hayes, Emese Hof, Motley, Thomas and Michelle Woods.

·         Miami’s lead in the all-time series against Clemson moves to 9-6 and the Hurricanes have won six of the past seven meetings.

·         Meier is now 274-181 in her 15 seasons as a head coach, including 198-136 in her 11 years at Miami. She is two victories away from 200 in her career at Miami.

·         The Hurricanes have scored at least 70 points 14 times in 17 games. They did so on 12 occasions in all of 2014-15.

·         Miami has tallied 80-plus points seven times this season after doing so five times last year. The Hurricanes have scored at least 80 points in five of the past eight games alone.

·         Nine of Miami’s 14 wins have come by greater than 20 points, including eight by 25-plus and three by 30-plus.

·         The four points Miami conceded in the first period matched its fewest allowed in a quarter all season (previous in the fourth period vs. Milwaukee, 11/27/15).

·         Miami’s 47 points in the first half were its most before the break this season (previous 46, vs. UMass Lowell, 12/6/15) and its second-most in any half (high 50, second half vs. Indiana, 12/20/15).

·         The 15 points Miami allowed in the opening 20 minutes tied its fewest conceded in a half this season (previous second half vs. Old Dominion, 11/17/15).

·         This marked the Hurricanes’ largest ACC win since defeating Clemson by 37, 79-42, on Jan. 15, 2015.

·         Miami’s last road victory by 30-plus came in an 84-53 victory at Wake Forest just over two years ago on 1/4/14.

·         The Hurricanes’ last win by 30-plus was an 84-53 victory over UMass Lowell (12/6/15).

·         This was the second-straight game in which Miami did not trail and led for greater than 39 minutes.

·         The Hurricanes connected on nine of their first 13 attempts from 3-point range, good for a 69.2 percent clip.

·         Miami’s 12 made 3-pointers matched its season best (previous vs. Wright State, 11/13/15).

·         Motley passed Hope Butler for No. 17 on the program’s all-time scoring list. She currently has 1,170 points.

·         Motley has recorded over a dozen points in 13 of 17 games this season, with 17-plus in 11 of them.

·         Additionally, Motley, who reached 450 field goals made as a collegian, is shooting 8-of-10 (80.0 percent) from 3-point range over the past two games. For the second-straight game, she made four 3-pointers to match her career best in an ACC game.

·         Khaila Prather and Davenport each recorded the 50th game played of their careers.

·         Davenport logged double-digit points for the sixth time this season and her 12 points matched her season (previous vs. La Salle, 11/29/15).

·         Thomas’ seven assists matched her career high (previous at Syracuse, 12/12/15) and her three 3-pointers made equaled her season best (previously recorded multiple times, most recently vs. Pittsburgh, 1/7/16).

·         Thomas, who logged double digits in the scoring column for the 13th time in 17 games this season, also reached 100 3-pointers made as a Hurricane.

·         Keyanna Harris surpassed 50 rebounds in her career and also set a new career high in ACC play with 16 minutes played (previous high 13, vs. Pittsburgh, 1/7/16).

·         Cornelius recorded double figures in scoring for the fourth time in her career.

·         In addition, Cornelius is shooting 18-of-29 (62.1 percent) from 3-point range over the last sixgames.

·         Zada Williams played a career-high 12 minutes (previous high 11, vs. FIU, 12/22/15).

·         Williams also made multiple free throws in a game for the first time and set a career best with a game-high eight free throw attempts (previous high three, vs. FIU, 12/22/15).