Syracuse (21-7, 9-6 Atlantic Coast) drained 20 3-pointers Thursday night, setting a new single-game program record in a 86-80 win over North Carolina (14-14, 4-11) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Gabrielle Cooper and Miranda Drummond combined for 52 points in the SU win. The duo hit 15 3-pointers, missing three attempts the entire game.

“Feeling good,” SU head coach Quentin Hillsman said. “We shot it well. You wanna be able to make shots and be aggressive and that’s what we did.”

The 3 carried Syracuse from the opening tipoff. Less than a minute into the game, Drummond canned a 3, and Cooper followed her first make from deep just over 30 seconds later.

“We had to get good looks and did a really good job of getting good looks and moving the ball around,” Hillsman said.

By the end of the first quarter, SU had buried seven 3s, but only led by one point, 28-27. Still, in the second stanza, neither team could find any separation. Syracuse kept shooting from deep and finished the half shooting 45 percent from beyond the arc, but the Tar Heels countered with an efficient 48.6 from the entire field.

After 20 minutes, the teams were tied, 41-41.

As the second half wore on, though, Syracuse’s onslaught from behind the arc never slowed. If anything, it picked up. The Orange buried 11 more triples in the final 20 minutes, finally mustering enough offense to create a cushion.

“Huge,” Hillsman said of the explosive offense. “They (UNC) were scoring, so we had to score too.”

Cooper scored 16 in the second half while Drummond racked up 15 in the frame.

“When they’re both hitting we’re a great team,” Hillsman said of Cooper and Drummond. “Any time you have two premiere shooters hitting from range, you’re going to be tough to beat.”

Feeding the shooters was point guard Tiana Mangakahia, who finished with 14 assists and 12 points of her own.

Syracuse is now one win away from 10 conference wins — the number head coach Quentin Hillsman said his team would need to feel comfortable about making the NCAA Tournament — after holding off North Carolina.

If the Orange can get similar production from its offense in its home finale on Sunday against Boston College, it should be well on its way to Hillsman’s mark.

“Honestly, we’re playing well, and we’re playing solid basketball,” Hillsman said.

Published on February 22, 2018 at 10:55 pm

Contact Andrew: aegraham@syr.edu | @A_E_Graham