@CanesWBB Falls to Seventh-Ranked Florida State

No. 7/7 Florida State8166No. 11/11 Miami

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – In its first game of ACC play, the University of Miami women’s basketball team had its 11-game winning streak come to an end.

Despite a game-high and ACC-career-best 20 points from senior guard Jessica Thomas, No. 11/11 Miami (11-2) dropped an 81-66 decision to seventh-ranked Florida State Thursday night at the Watsco Center.

“We don’t need a strategic analysis for why we lost. It’s effort, 100 percent,” Miami head coach Katie Meier said. “On 50/50 balls, they got every one of them. They had two players on their team get as many offensive rebounds as my entire team did.”

In the first period, Florida State (13-1) used a 9-0 run to go up by 12, but the Hurricanes scored the final five points of the frame. A buzzer-beating 3-pointer by senior guard Adrienne Motley—the first of her four first-half makes from long range—trimmed the deficit to seven, 19-12, after 10 minutes of action.

After the Seminoles pulled ahead by 14, Miami took over for the final five minutes of the second quarter, outscoring Florida State, 16-3. During the stretch, the Hurricanes scored 10 consecutive points and had two 3-pointers each from co-captains Motley and Thomas.

The final shot of the half was a deep, contested shot beyond the arc by Thomas that beat the buzzer and fell through the netting, making it a one-point game, 32-31, at the break. Miami made seven of its final eight shots of the frame, while the Seminoles missed four of their last five.

Florida State scored the first seven points of the second half and continued on to stretch its lead to as many as 17 points. The Seminoles held a 60-45 edge entering the last period.

Both teams scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, as Florida State went on to register the 81-66 win, its 12th consecutive victory.

Thomas, Motley and sophomore forward/center Emese Hof combined for 50 of the Hurricanes’ 66 points. Motley finished with 18, while Hof had a season-high 12 points to go along with a season-high-tying six rebounds.

In addition, Thomas surpassed Krystal Saunders (2010-14) for third place on Miami’s career 3-point attempts list, now owning 494 as a Hurricane.

Senior guard Leticia Romero and redshirt junior guard Imani Wright led Florida State with 19 points apiece. Junior forward Shakayla Thomas (14 points, 11 rebounds) and junior center Chatrice White (13 points, 10 rebounds) both notched double-doubles for the Seminoles, while senior guard Brittany Brown added 10 points.

This was the first time Miami conceded 80-plus points at home since an 89-87 setback against Georgia Tech on Feb. 9, 2014. Additionally, the last time Miami allowed 80-plus points in a game that ended in regulation was a 90-69 defeat at third-ranked Notre Dame on Feb. 14, 2016.

“I think the more accountable team won. I thought the Florida State players, when they missed the shot, they owned it and went and got it back for their team,” Meier said. “. . . My seniors are going to follow my lead and we are all going to take a little bit more ownership in effort plays.”

Miami last dropped its ACC opener in 2011-12, when it fell, 65-63, at No. 25/23 North Carolina on Jan. 2, 2012. Miami is now 7-6 all-time in ACC openers, including 6-2 over the past eight years.

The Hurricanes’ bench outscored that of Florida State, 21-16, marking the 11th time in 13 games they had the edge in bench scoring. Miami finished 9-of-19 (47.3 percent) from 3-point range, while the Seminoles were 7-of-21 (33.3 percent).

Miami will now travel to face Pittsburgh in its ACC road opener Jan. 2 at 7 p.m., in the first of back-to-back away contests.

To keep up with the University of Miami women’s basketball team on social media, follow @CanesWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

MIAMI HURRICANES POSTGAME NOTES

·         Thomas logged 20-plus points for the second time in the past six games and the fifth time as a Hurricane.

·         Hof finished with double-digit points for the first time this season and the 13th time in her college career.

·         Motley tied Gina Graziani and current assistant coach Octavia Blue for No. 10 on the program’s all-time starts list with the 107th of her career.

·         Miami’s head football (Mark Richt), men’s basketball (Jim Larrañaga) and women’s tennis (Paige Yaroshuk-Tews) coaches were all in attendance, as was Director of Athletics Blake James and former players Tamara James, Necole Sterling, Jassany Williams and Michelle Woods.

·         Junior forward/center Erykah Davenport surpassed 1,250 minutes played as a Hurricane, sophomore guard Laura Cornelius moved past 100 rebounds in her career, Hof eclipsed 750 minutes played at Miami and Thomas reached 350 made field goals as a collegian.