Photo by Lena Pringle
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse (16-8, 6-5) never led Virginia Tech (12-11, 4-6) in 40 minutes of regulation play, but the Orange still managed to produce an astonishing comeback and win 68-60 over the Hokies in overtime at the Carrier Dome, Tuesday night..
"It was a great comeback," Syracuse head coach Boeheim said immediately following the game. "I saw people going home early when we were six points down. I guess [the fans] gave up a little bit. But [the players] didn't give up at all. They just kept going, and made some unbelievable plays."
Strong at the finish
With a minute and a half left in the second half, SU trailed Virginia Tech by seven. A three by Malachi Richardson followed by a Tyler Lydon slam trimmed the Hokies' lead to two.
On the Hokies' next trip down the floor, Justin Bibbs drove into the lane and drew the foul. Bibbs made his first free throw and missed the second, making the score 56-53 and giving the Orange another possession in regulation.
Michael Gbinije dribbled the ball to the top of the key and pulled up for the jumper, well beyond the perimeter. Swish. The game was tied at 56 and the Carrier Dome roared.
"That was a hell of a shot, and a hell of a time to make it," graduate guard Trevor Cooney said, complimenting his teammate and fellow fifth year following the game.
One more defensive stand by SU and a missed three-point attempt by Richardson sent the game into overtime.
Orange controls extra session
A mere 22 seconds into OT, a short pull-up jumper by Gbinije gave Syracuse its first lead of the game. And Syracuse never let up after that, proceeding to go on a 12-4 run, a run highlighted by a pair of threes from Trevor Cooney and Richardson, along with another Lydon dunk.
"We just stayed with it," Gbinije said. "It was not only a physical battle, but a mental battle as well. We just continued to have the goal of winning and kept that in our mind until the very end."
As the clock ticked down, Syracuse fans rose to their feet, and SU went on to earn its sixth conference win this year, a key victory in the team's unpredictable march towards the end of the season.
"We're in as good of a position as we can be in really, realistically, starting 0-and-4 in this league," Boeheim said. "We just got to keep fighting. We can't do anything about that. We have to get better. We need some time off."
Slow start
At the beginning of the game, it took Syracuse four possessions and over three minutes before a lay-up by Roberson put SU on the board. At that point, the Hokies were already leading the Orange, 9-2, after making their first three attempts from the perimeter.
The Orange men managed to keep themselves in the game however, despite poor offensive performances by two of their top scorers - Cooney and Richardson. Cooney went 0-for-6 from the field in the first half, and Richardson only scored one bucket before the break, hitting a short jumper with 1:47 left until halftime.
Overall, Syracuse was only 2-for-14 from three-point land in the first half. One of those two threes came from Tyler Lydon, who hit a buzzer-beater from behind the arc to send the game into halftime with the Hokies leading, 30-24.
Roberson snags sixth double-double
Junior Tyler Roberson helped to keep the Orange in the game as he ripped down 15 rebounds and notched 12 points against the Hokies. Roberson currently leads Syracuse in double-doubles, securing six this season.
However, despite Roberson's repeat standout performances, Boeheim expressed postgame that he expects more from the junior forward.
"He's got a wonderful opportunity because they're doubling our guards and our guards are getting shots off and he's going to the basket," Boeheim said. "You know, this isn't really a criticism, but if no one is guarding you and no one is blocking you out, you should get the rebound if we miss. You should get the rebound. He did that, and he should continue to do that."
Notes
- Gbinije led the Orange in scoring with 17 points.
-Freshmen Richardson and Lydon each added 13 points for SU.
-Justin Bibbs scored a team-high 16 points for the Hokies.
-Zach LeDay and Seth Allen also scored in double figures for VT. LeDay with 13 and Allen with 11.
-Overall, SU was 8-for-24 from the three. Virginia Tech was 7-for-24.
Up Next
Boeheim and the Orange have an 8-day breather before picking up their schedule again. Syracuse's next game is against Florida State. The Orange host the Seminoles in the Carrier Dome on Thursday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m.
Virginia Tech returns home to host Clemson this Saturday, Feb. 6. That game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m.
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