The U Reloaded: Miami Women Blow Hofstra Off the Watsco Floor

New Squad. same Coach.  Same Smoke.

Let the ACC be warned — the Miami Hurricanes might have flipped the entire roster, but they didn’t lose an ounce of bite. With just two returners and five new starters, the Canes opened the Tricia Cullop era with an 83-48 demolition of Hofstra on Monday night.

It didn’t start pretty. Hofstra hit a three within the first 10 seconds and jumped out 6–1. Miami looked jittery. But by the end of the first quarter? The U had already started pressing the gas — and by halftime, it was a 37–22 stranglehold.

“We came out a little bit rocky,” admitted sophomore guard Ahnay Adams. “Then we talked to each other in the locker room and played better team basketball the second half.”

Better is putting it lightly.

Miami dropped 30 in the third, held Hofstra to 12, and turned a solid win into a full-on beatdown. Twelve of 14 Canes scored. Four hit double figures.

And by the fourth quarter, Coach Cullop was already emptying the bench and flashing future rotation options.

The New Core is Cooking

Florida transfer Ra Shaya Kyle led the way with 13 points, drawing attention every time she touched the paint. “You really can’t miss her,” Adams said of her 6-foot-6 center. “She draws so much attention… it’s nice to have someone like that on your team.”

Kyle returned the love postgame: “To be a sophomore and the way [Ahnay] talks and communicates… not a lot of people can do that.” That kind of instant chemistry — between a returning guard and a towering newcomer — is exactly what this rebuild needed.

Israeli national team standout Gal Raviv added 10 points and four assists, showing flashes of the playmaker she became over the summer overseas.

“No, she didn’t shoot well,” Cullop said, “but I feel very confident with the ball in her hands… she has a good head on her shoulders, very high IQ.”

Jessica Peterson made a grand debut this year as she it down with 10 points and 8 rebounds.

And let’s not forget what Cullop said about her depth:

“Meredith [Tippner] gets three to five steals, she’s just a blue collar, hard-nosed scrappy kid… Candace [Kpetikou] only played 12 minutes but was plus-27. That’s hard to do. Her energy was really good.”

83 Reasons the ACC Should Pay Attention

This wasn’t just a win — this was a damn mugging.

Miami didn’t “beat” Hofstra; they broke their spirit, stole their lunch money, and left with the rims still rattling. The Canes forced 23 turnovers, ripped 12 steals, and bullied their way to a 38–24 advantage in the paint like it was open gym at the Y, (all heart and straight hustle).

They grabbed 46 boards like they were collecting souls. Had runs of 11–0 and 9–0 just for fun. And the buckets? Coming from everywhere — starters, benchwarmers, old heads, freshmen who still don’t know where their dorm is.

It was violence disguised as basketball.

Cullop called out Soma Okolo’s vertical.

“She’s got one of the best verticals not just on our team, on both men’s and women’s teams,” she said. “She had a beautiful block, got her hands on some passes, rebounds, putbacks…”

Even NBA legend Ray Allen was in the building. So yeah — the vibes were elite.

While it’s early, one thing’s clear:

This ain’t a rebuild. It’s a flex.