Record crowd watches No. 14 UM women top Loyola Chicago 81-43

Tipoff was at 11 a.m., and their opponent, Loyola Chicago, lost its first seven games this season. But there was no danger the 14th-ranked University of Miami women’s basketball team would come out uninspired Tuesday because more than 4,300 schoolkids were at the Watsco Center cheering for them as part of “Let’s Move! Elementary School Day”.

The Hurricanes rolled to their eighth win in a row, 81-43, in front of a record crowd of 4,989. UM players now have nine days off for final exams and head across town to FIU for their next game Dec. 16.

For the first time since 2011-12, Miami (8-1) is ranked in the Top 14 in both polls. The Canes are No. 14 in the AP poll and No. 13 in the USA Today Coaches’ poll.

They went on a 27-2 run and shot 70.6 percent in the third period. Senior guard Nigia Greene was UM’s leading scorer with 14 points, including a career-high four three-pointers. Sophomore guard Laura Cornelius scored 13, senior Adrienne Motley added 12 and junior forward/center Erykah Davenport had a game-high nine rebounds to go with 10 points.

Freshman guard Sarah Mortensen scored the first two three-pointers of her college career.

“We like to be role models; we expect to be role models,” UM coach Katie Meier said at the post-game press conference. “Our players have pressure on them every day to be great people, great citizens. And to have all those kids looking at them, screaming their names and making posters for them and everything... We don’t take that lightly.”

This story was originally published December 6, 2016 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Record crowd watches No. 14 UM women top Loyola Chicago 81-43."