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Syracuse moved up two spots to No. 18 in the latest AP rankings after defeating Miami 69-58 in the Orange’s first Atlantic Coast Conference game.

SU is one of three ACC teams in the top-25, with Louisville ranked No. 2 in the country and NC State once again ranked No. 4 this week. The top-5 rankings didn’t change from last week. 

Syracuse’s move inside the top-20 is the first time the Orange entered the top-20 since Nov. 25, 2019. SU started the season ranked at No. 23 in the AP poll after returning star Tiana Mangakahia and adding top-five recruit Kamilla Cardoso. Since then, Syracuse has steadily inched up the chart.

“It’s completely disrespectful. We’re a top-five team,” guard Emily Engstler said of the preseason ranking. “They do that to us every year. We could have the Hulk, and we’d be (the) 30th team in the country.”

Mangakahia and Cardoso led the team in SU’s road win against Miami with 14 points each in 25 and 13 minutes, respectively. Syracuse outrebounded the Hurricanes 50-42, with forward Digna Strautmane grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds.

However, Syracuse continued to struggle in its three-point shooting, hitting just 8-26 shots from behind the arc. So far, the Orange are converting less than 26% of its 3s this season. Despite the team’s struggles, head coach Quentin Hillsman isn’t changing offensive strategies.

“We got open looks. We have to make open shots,” Hillsman said last week. “Yes, shot selection is huge, but the shots you take, you have to make, and there were some open looks we didn’t make.”

Syracuse was scheduled to play Binghamton on Sunday, but that game was canceled due to a positive COVID-19 case within Binghamton’s program. The Orange’s next game, against North Carolina on Thursday, is its second ACC road game.

Published on December 14, 2020 at 2:14 pm

Contact Thomas: tgshults@syr.edu | @ThomasShults_