CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Alyssa Ustby had the first triple-double in program history, Maria Gakdeng scored 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting and North Carolina beat No. 25 Syracuse 75-51 Thursday night, snapping the Orange's eight-game win streak.
Ustby made 7 of 11 from the field and finished with 16 points, a season-high 16 rebounds, a career-best 10 assists and two steals. Lexi Donarski added 14 points, including four 3-pointers for North Carolina (10-4, 1-0 ACC), which has won four games in a row.
Syracuse (11-2, 1-1) lost for the first time since an 83-81 loss at then-No. 20 Maryland on Nov. 19.
Donarski scored eight points and Utsby, Gakdeng and Deja Kelly each added five in the third quarter as the Tar Heels outscored Syracuse 25-6 and used a 17-2 closing run to take a 57-36 lead into the fourth.
Dyaisha Fair led the Orange with 17 points, but shot just 7 of 22 from the field and 3 of 12 from 3-point range. Freshman Alyssa Latham added 11 points and 11 rebounds — her third double-double in a row and fifth of the season.
Ustby made a layup to open the scoring 34 seconds into the game and the Tar Heels never trailed. Gakdeng scored nine points in a 12-4 run that gave UNC an eight-point lead midway through the first quarter and Donarski hit a 3 early in the second to stretch the lead to 24-14.
Syracuse, which went into the game No. 25 nationally in scoring (81.5 per game), made 21 of 71 (30%) from the field, 6 of 30 (20%) from 3-point range,
North Carolina plays Sunday at No. 16 Notre Dame. Syracuse plays host to Boston College on Sunday.
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