GREENSBORO, N.C. — Hannah Huffman stood on the sideline ready to inbound the ball. She lifted her right index finger and pointed to the side of her head. Notre Dame had to play smart against Syracuse, the nation’s leader in forced turnovers.

While Michaela Mabrey dribbled across halfcourt, Brittney Sykes set her feet in front of her along the sideline, fell backward upon absorbing contact and drew a charge.

Back-to-back baskets followed and the Orange was down 12 with four and a half minutes to play, inching back into a game it trailed by 18 just four minutes earlier.

SU head coach Quentin Hillsman yelled “Steal the ball. Get me that ball.” But the possession wore on with four Notre Dame offensive rebounds, lasting more than a minute and only ending in a missed shot rather than a steal.

Even when Syracuse came within arm’s distance, Notre Dame did just enough to maintain its comfortable lead and drain the clock en route to a 68-57 win for its fourth consecutive conference championship.

“We just kind of got a little caught up sometimes,” SU point guard Alexis Peterson said. “Miscommunication, just trying to scramble … just kind of got lost.”

No. 1 seed Notre Dame (31-1, 16-0 Atlantic Coast) repeatedly broke down No. 3 seed Syracuse’s (25-7, 13-3) normally rabid defense and on Sunday afternoon in the Greensboro Coliseum, snapping SU’s 11-game win streak. The Orange’s quest for its first conference title since 1985 and second in program history fell short by one win.

After Syracuse made itself even more relevant in the national landscape by beating No. 7-ranked Louisville on Saturday, SU’s defense, its spark plug all season, wasn’t good enough to take down the second-ranked team in the country.

“We wanted to be at arm’s distance, and we were,” said Hillsman, whose voice was hoarse after the game, “so we just had to make a few more plays to get matched up. We just didn’t do a good job getting matched up in certain situations.”

Evan Jenkins | Staff Photographer

UND relied on several home run passes to cross half court and break Syracuse’s press, getting the ball to Mabrey and Madison Cable when point guard Lindsay Allen faced pressure. Notre Dame’s Kathryn Westbeld knocked down several open jump shots in pockets of space created by the 2-3 zone, and Brianna Turner pushed her way inside to convert contested layups.

With 6:23 to play in the second quarter, Hillsman called timeout with his team trailing 33-20 and its defense getting stretched thin.

Hillsman walked onto the court to greet his players and moved his hand in a circular motion. The Orange wasn’t playing at the pace that had made it so successful for the past month and a half. Out of the timeout, Syracuse switched to its man-to-man press, “double fists,” and it led to some success — SU outscored the Fighting Irish 27-26 in the second half after allowing 42 first-half points.

“It was just a few moments where we might have missed a shooter or helped out or did something,” Sykes said, “but we made up for it on the back end. We ran out of time.”

After a Briana Day basket cut the deficit to 14 late in the third, the Orange didn’t set up its press fast enough. Notre Dame got the inbounds pass to Allen, who calmly dribbled up the court. Hillsman squatted in front of SU’s bench, threw both clenched fists across his body and yelled “Damn it!”

On Saturday, Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw said what stands out most about Syracuse is its press defense. On Sunday, McGraw said the key to beating it was Allen’s ball-handling, committing only two turnovers and orchestrating the Fighting Irish’s offense.

“We didn’t want it in her hands,” SU guard Cornelia Fondren said of Allen.

Entering the season, Hillsman had certain goals: 10 nonconference wins. Check. 10 conference wins. Check. Double bye in the ACC tournament. Check.

But earlier in the week, the head coach was asked what would make the trip to Greensboro a successful one. An ACC championship.

That goal remained incomplete.

The last time Syracuse faced Notre Dame, on Jan. 21, it lost by 28. This time it lost by 11. But last time, the Orange forced 19 turnovers and on Sunday, it caused just 14. SU’s early defensive letdowns put it in a hole and its midgame defensive turnaround came too late.

“It’s not enough,” Sykes said. “It’s the championship.”

Published on March 6, 2016 at 2:32 pm

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