Loyd scores 23 to pace No. 2 Notre Dame to 101-64 win over Syracuse for 23rd straight victory
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Syracuse center Shakeya Leary, right, passes as Notre Dame forward Natalie Achonwa defends during first-half action of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond) (The Associated Press)
Jewell Loyd scored 23 points, Kayla McBride added 18 and second-ranked Notre Dame opened a 33-point halftime lead Sunday en route to a 101-64 victory over Syracuse to improve to 23-0, matching the best start in school history.
Notre Dame took control from the start, beating the Syracuse zone inside and outside, jumping to a 14-2 lead, extending it to 29-10 midway through the first half and 61-28 at halftime.
The other time the Irish (10-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) started 23-0 was in 2000-01 en route to the national championship.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brittney Sykes led the Orange (17-7, 6-5) with 14 points.
Irish coach Muffet McGraw (737-258) tied the late North Carolina State coach Kay Yow for 11th place in career wins. Yow died in 2009 after a long battle with breast cancer. The Irish and Orange wore pink as part of the Play4Kay game raising awareness of cancer research.