Just 20 seconds into Sunday’s game, after a slick Keyona Hayes layup put Miami on the board early, Hurricane head coach Katie Meier put her hands in the air, calling for the Miami defense to press the inbounds pass to Alexis Peterson.

Miami set up in a hybrid full-court press that attempted to flow back into a 2-3 zone after trapping the Orange guards before half-court. Hurricane guards Jessica Thomas and Laura Cornelius laid the pressure on Peterson, who frenetically backpedaled and weaved until she crossed half court. Peterson dishing to Brittney Sykes, who chucked up a contested 3-point attempt that missed its mark.

The front was exactly the type of press Meier said she wanted coming into Sunday’s contest: a press forcing the ball from Peterson’s hands and untimely shots from the other SU guards that would disrupt Orange’s flow.

“Their guards really committed to pressing early,” Peterson said. “But (Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman) talked about staying in attack mode, don’t dribble sideways, be just as aggressive.”

But Syracuse (14-7, 5-3 Atlantic Coast) systematically dismantled the press and drew bunches of fouls to thrash No. 14 Miami (14-5, 3-4), 81-48, in the Carrier Dome on Sunday afternoon. It was the Orange’s 10th straight home win of the season, and its third win over an AP top-25 team on the season. At least five of Miami’s fouls came behind half court, attempting to stop Orange ball-handler Peterson from pushing the tempo of the game.

Hillsman described how Miami changes up its press front — sometimes defending with two guards, sometimes with one — to try and create problems for the Orange’s full-court offense.

Three quarters later, as Cornelius slowly trudged off the court, her fifth personal foul added to the scorebook as she joined Emese Hof and Kaila Prather, who had already fouled out, it became apparent that the press Meier once hoped would be effective had become anything but.

“I don’t know why we thought we could reach on Alexis Peterson,” Meier said. “That just wasn’t smart, that was immature and I think there was really some fake effort on our part when fouling Peterson in a trap.”

After every Hurricane bucket, the Miami contingent would push a hard press onto Peterson and Sykes, but with effort the Orange backcourt easily broke it.

All Peterson did was put her head down and maneuver to the outside of the press to either draw a foul or fly past the Hurricane defense on the Orange’s breaks. She drew three fouls on press-breaks in the first half alone, even after Meier constantly told her team to stop reaching.

“You’re not going to steal the ball from Alexis Peterson on a trap,” Meier said. “I can’t cry about fouls, but we were not smart. We did things that aren’t going to be effective and weren’t strategic. Smart teams don’t foul 29 times regardless.”

After yet another Miami foul on the press late in the second quarter, Meier yelled “back” to her team and called the press off. It wasn’t even halftime, and the Hurricanes were already down, 38-25.

The Hurricanes didn’t bother attempting to press again in the third and fourth quarters. Peterson and Sykes continued getting buckets as Miami’s defense continued getting whistled.

After Hillsman subbed out Peterson and Sykes, the Orange bench players slowly worked the ball around the backcourt with under two minutes remaining in the game. Meier stood motionless on the Hurricane sideline, resting her chin on her left hand and staring at her team: Down 33 to an unranked opponent, two starters and two role players fouled out, 29 total team fouls. The difference between the two sides became clear.

“My players go, ‘Ah,’ and complain to the referee, and then come to me and say, ‘Coach, I’ve got foul trouble,’” Meier said. “Mhmm, yep, high hands on Peterson. Low hands are gonna get it done, but I guess I’ve gotta find a way to make that point a little bolder than I did.”

Published on January 22, 2017 at 6:52 pm

Contact Matt: mjfel100@syr.edu