Free Throw Struggles Crush Orange Down the Stretch in 66-62 Loss to Miami (Fl.)

Story and Photos by Josh Carney

Syracuse, N.Y. - Rakeem Christmas scored 18 second-half points for Syracuse, but missed free throws derailed the Orange’s upset bid against the Miami Hurricanes in Saturday’s 66-62 loss in front of 30,677 fans at the Carrier Dome.

For the second straight game the Orange struggled down the stretch from the free throw line, but this time it ultimately cost the team a game that it could have won. On the night the Orange finished 8-for-19 from the line, including an intentional miss on one final free throw attempt from Christmas, who finished 5-of-11 from the line in the loss.

“This game we played more than well enough to win,” head coach Jim Boeheim said.  “You can’t miss those free throws; we’re not that good. If we miss 11 free throws in the next game, we’ll lose. That’s all this game is. You can ask a million questions about as many plays. They’re going to make some good plays; we’re going to make some good plays, that’s the way it is.

“We made a couple bad turnovers we haven’t made but overall this game was one thing. That’s all it was, nothing else. We make some free throws we win the game. Bottom line.”

Miami starts hot

Right from the opening tip the Hurricanes appeared locked in from beyond the arc as forward Omar Sherman and guard Davon Reed each knocked down a 3-pointer to help Miami race out to a 10-1 lead just under five minutes into the game.

In that same span, Hurricanes center, Tonye Jekiri, dominated the offensive glass over Christmas, providing the ‘Canes with multiple opportunities that they cashed in on. Miami led by as much as 24-14 in the first half before the Orange clawed back to tie the game at 26-26 heading into the half led by Trevor Cooney and Kaleb Joseph each knocking down a 3-pointer of their own.

Sophomore forward Tyler Roberson was equally important on the glass in the first half, ripping down eight rebounds, including three offensive boards. Christmas made a layup from the left block right before the half ended to tie the game, yet finished just 1-of-4 from the free throw line in a sign of things to come for the Orange.

"I thought he played well and did a lot of good, positive things today," Boeheim said of Roberson. "He rebounded it well and played excellent, I thought."

Echoing Boeheim, Christmas said Roberson was a big part of the attack early on.

"Tyler did a great job in the first half," Christmas said. "He was getting to the basket and getting fouled. He came up big for us while others struggled.”

Christmas, himself struggled his way to five first-half points

Roberson finished 4-of-10 from the floor in the first half before the Hurricanes started to guard him more closely in the second half.


Canes heat up again

Much like the start of the game, the Hurricanes raced out to another fast start in the second half – this time a 16-6 run – to put the Orange on its heels. Reed and senior guard Angel Rodriguez fueled the run by knocking down two 3-pointers each, while Jekiri started to get to the basket with ease, providing the Hurricanes with a lethal inside-out game in the second half.

"I thought their big guy [Jekiri] made him take tough shots in the first half and in the second half he got to the basket," Boeheim said. "In the first half he settled for shots from eight-to-10 feet and that's a tough shot. Second half he got to the basket and really had a great second half.

“He played phenomenal."

Orange fight back again
 

After a quick Syracuse timeout, Christmas began to take over for Syracuse on his way to 18 second-half points to bring the Orange within one point – 60-59 - with 54 seconds left.

“Christmas is a great player,” Miami head coach Jim Larranaga said. “He’s a first round NBA draft choice. I think he’s got to be in serious consideration for ACC Player of the Year, for sure.”

Coming out of a Miami timeout, guard Manu Lecomte drilled a 3-pointer to put Miami up 63-59 before Cooney answered with a tough three of his own to bring SU back within one point. From there, Rodriguez sank two free throws for Miami before Cooney air-balled a 3-point attempt and Christmas missed two free throws. Sheldon McClellan sank one of two free throws to ice the game, sending Syracuse to its second loss of the year in ACC play.

““I thought we battled as hard as we could all day. We did everything we could do to have an opportunity to win a game,” Boeheim said.  “When you play a good team and they’re playing well, you know you can’t miss 11 free throws. That’s really the ballgame. We did everything we could to get back in it, two deficits, overcame two 10-point deficits, first half, second half.
 

“You go to the free throw line in those situations you have to make those free throws, but we played hard and we battled as hard as we could, gave a great effort. But this game comes down to being able to make those free throws in those situations.”

Throughout the game, Syracuse failed to knock down two straight free throws. Coming into the game against Miami the Orange was close to 70 percent from the free throw line, including Christmas who was third on the team in free throw shooting percentage at 72.9 percent, trailing Cooney (76.5) and Joseph (73.2).

“We do it [make free throws] in practice,” Christmas said. “We have to be able to do it in the game…just have to go in there and be confident in yourself. But stuff happens. You win some, you lose some. We’re going to put this behind us and focus on Monday.

“At the end of the day you can overcome those free throws but you really have to play well to do it, and we played pretty good today but we couldn’t overcome it.”
 

The Orange will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., for a primetime matchup with North Carolina at 7 p.m., Monday.

NOTES: 

Miami:  Forward Sheldon McClellan had scored in double figures in 14 straight games and in 15 total games this season, but he finished with seven against Syracuse, snapping the streak. ... The `Canes had connected on nine or more 3-pointers in three of the previous four games. Against the Orange, Miami hit 10-of-29 threes.

Syracuse: Michael Gbinije (9 points) had a run of six straight double-figure scoring games, all in ACC play. ..The combined record of Syracuse's first six ACC foes this season was 54-56 (5-29) overall. The combined record for its next eight opponents, excluding replays with Virginia Tech and Boston College, is 121-31 (34-14) overall.