
The winds certainly shifted for Miami women’s basketball, as it delivered a thrilling 70-63 win over the Southern Methodist University Mustangs on Sunday afternoon in Coral Gables, Fla. After a seven-game losing streak, this long-awaited victory was exactly what the ’Canes needed to reignite their fire.
Heading into the first quarter, SMU center Jessica Peterson posed a serious threat to the Hurricanes in the paint, dominating the boards with her size and strength. While Miami held on to its slight lead throughout the quarter, it did not stand out much on either side of the court.
After the first quarter, the Hurricanes came to life on defense and were able to wind down the shot clock for SMU and create key turnovers. While Miami initially held a consistent lead over the Mustangs, though, SMU guard Nya Robertson knocked down a three-pointer to tie the score at 27-27 late in the second quarter.
After a back-and-forth battle in the paint, the Mustangs became overzealous on defense and sent Natalija Marshall to the free throw line. She calmly sank both shots, bringing the halftime score to 32-28 in favor of Miami.

While UM maintained a small but steady lead for much of the game, the Mustangs staged a comeback in the fourth quarter with their scoring run. They brought the score to three points (66-63 Miami) with 1:38 left on the clock.
Although SMU’s comeback would have been fatal for Miami, it was able to keep its composure and secure the win in the end. In the Hurricanes’ postgame press conference, senior guard Darrione Rogers described Miami’s mindset during the Mustang’s scoring run as one in which “we weren’t going to lose no matter what, even though it wasn’t the cutest win.”

Haley Cavinder had her performance of the season and was no stranger to the leaderboard, totaling a whopping season-high of 32 points and going 6-for-9 at the three-point line. She also went 6-for-7 at the free throw line and utilized the powerful screens of her teammates to get shots off and carry the team offensively.
The Hurricanes look to carry this win into their face-off with Virginia at home on Thursday.