CORAL GABLES, Fla. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by missed shots and critical mistakes, the Syracuse women’s basketball team leaned on its star and capitalized on Miami’s errors to escape with a 65-60 Atlantic Coast Conference victory on Sunday at a tense Watsco Center.

The game, a stark contrast to offensive fireworks, was ultimately decided by Syracuse’s ability to convert Miami’s 16 turnovers into 15 points and a clutch closing performance from guard Sophie Burrows. The Orange, despite shooting just 30% from the field, improved to 18-4 overall. Miami fell to 12-10.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the final 24 seconds with Syracuse clinging to a 58-56 lead. After a chaotic series of timeouts and substitutions, Syracuse inbounded the ball and Miami’s Gal Raviv was called for a foul on Burrows. The sophomore from Australia, who finished with a game-high 21 points, calmly sank both free throws to push the lead to four.

On the ensuing possession, Raviv drove for a layup to cut the deficit back to two with 12 seconds left. Syracuse’s inbound pass found Laila Phelia, who was immediately fouled. Phelia, who matched Burrows with 21 points and added five assists, also made both attempts from the line, restoring the four-point cushion at 62-58.

Miami’s last gasp ended with another Raviv layup at the two-second mark, but by then the outcome was sealed. Phelia was fouled again and made two more free throws for the final margin, as Syracuse went a perfect 6-for-6 from the line in the final 21 seconds.

The entire contest was a grind. Syracuse finished 21 of 70 from the floor, while Miami was only slightly better at 22 of 61. Both teams combined for just nine assists. The Orange found a slight edge at the free-throw line, making 16 of 19 attempts compared to Miami’s 10 of 19.

Burrows was the primary offensive engine for Syracuse, hitting 7 of 20 shots including four three-pointers. Her backcourt partner, Phelia, shouldered the playmaking load and scored her 21 points on 5-of-17 shooting, but was a crucial 9-for-10 from the foul line. Izoje Uche provided a massive interior presence for the Orange with 12 rebounds and six points.

Miami was led by the duo of Gal Raviv and Ra Shaya Kyle, who each scored 13 points. Raviv dished out seven assists but also committed seven of her team’s 16 turnovers. Kyle added eight rebounds and three assists. Soma Okolo came off the bench to contribute 10 points and seven rebounds for the Hurricanes.

The first half set the tone for the defensive battle, with Syracuse taking a narrow 23-21 lead into halftime. The Orange slowly built a working margin in the second half, but could never fully shake the Hurricanes, leading to the frantic final minute.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Syracuse entered the game with a 56.30 percent probability to win. The victory keeps Syracuse in the upper tier of the ACC as they head into a road game at Boston College on Thursday. Miami will look to regroup on the road at Virginia, also on Thursday.