Syracuse Turns the Tables on BC with a Dominating 76-53 Victory

Story by Jon Cerio

Photos by Jacqueline Mundry

SYRACUSE, N.Y. --  Sometimes the sequel is better than the original – at least, if you’re an Orange fan.   Syracuse flipped the script on the Boston College Eagles, putting a beating on them in its first rematch of the young ACC season, 76-53 at the Carrier Dome, Saturday. BC had torched the Orange 96-81 on New Year's Day in Chestnut Hill. 

Tyus Battle led all scorers this time with 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting.  After giving up too many easy baskets in a loss at Virginia Tech on Tuesday, Syracuse was aggressive again on defense, coming up with eleven steals as part of 20 BC turnovers in the contest.

“You know, it is all defense,” Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said.  “For us it was in the first half, it was strictly just the defensive effort.”

Some Like it Hot

Taurean Thompson got things rolling for the Orange early on.  In the first 2:25, he scored the Orange’s first six points, on his way to ten points and three rebounds for the game.

Syracuse was showing intensity from the early going, and finding the open man for good looks.

“Just the intensity, the effort, aggression,” Boeheim said.  “Being more aggressive, more activity.”

Deep Impact

Eagles' freshman Ky Bowman also showed aggression from the get-go, looking to return to form against an Orange team he torched for 30 points on 7-8 from deep New Years Day in Boston. 

Saturday’s game proved to be a different story.  Bowman was responsible for five BC turnovers and was 1-4 from deep in the first half.  He ended up with only three points in the game.

Jerome Robinson and A.J. Turner also played big roles in that drubbing the Eagles put on the Orange in the first game.  This time Syracuse limited them to nine and six points, respectively.

“They were much more aggressive defensively,” Boston College Head Coach Jim Christian said.  “They played passing lanes better. They did a better job of keeping them out of the sweet spots and then they were able to get out in transition.”

Turner hit one of his two 3s to answer Thompson’s early flurry at the 17:11 mark. 

Howard’s End (Game)

At 15:07, Frank Howard came in as the Orange ran a two-guard set.  John Gillon had three of his game-high six assists by the time Howard entered the game. 

There were some miscues – a bad pass from Howard in traffic, Gillon misjudging a fast break layup on the Orange’s next possession – but overall, the pair provided solid ball control and distribution on offense.  Battle and Andrew White III outperformed them in the steals department with three apiece.

“I thought Frank did a great job tonight,” Boeheim said.  “Our point guards struggled in the first half, but second half they bounced back and had eight points, nine assists.  I'll take that.”

“I’m not out there thinking too much, just playing off instincts and trying to make the right read,” Howard said.

As Good As It Gets

Connar Tava and White traded treys soon after, before Robinson and Bowman gave BC its first, and only, lead of the game on a jumper and triple.  It was 13-12 BC with 12:55 remaining in the half.

Battle Royale

Over the next 8:19, Syracuse dominated on a 14-2 run, opening up an eleven-point advantage.  Back-to-back baskets from Tyler Roberson, combined with three points from Lydon and six straight from Battle, who capped off the run with a Dome-rocking triple to give the Orange the 26-15 lead.

Defending (For) Your Life

At one point in the stretch, Syracuse’s quick zone reaction turned a potential BC three-pointer into a Ky Bowman turnover.  Soon after that, the pressure caused an Eagle air ball from deep.

The Orange has played three home games in 2017.   In each game it has showed a much higher defensive energy than present in the road losses to BC and Virginia Tech.

 “We had two great defensive games and then went to Virginia Tech and probably played one of our worst games,” Boeheim said.  “I think we are getting better, but we are still not there.  We have a lot of work to do.”

A Tale of Two Cities

Syracuse carried a 35-22 lead into the half.  The Eagles committed 15 first half turnovers, en route to 20 for the game.  Syracuse had 20 points off of those turnovers for the game.  The Orange shot 40 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes.

“When we played at our place, we caught the ball and we were very patient and poised and found the open guy,” Christian said.  “There was probably some open guys and we didn’t have the same kind of poise and I give them credit for that.”

(Ad)Vantage Point

Syracuse started strong again in the second half, getting three straight inside baskets to open up a 19-point margin against the Eagles at 41-22 within the first two minutes of the half. Including the end of the first half, Syracuse was on an 11-0 run.  

Boston College answered back with back-to-back makes from Nik Popovic inside on a put-back, and Jerome Robinson from deep. Boeheim wanted a timeout.

After the huddle, White settled for a jumper in the lane after trying to dish it off.  Bowman was rejected on a BC fast break soon after by Lydon, who was fouled on the ensuing possession from deep.  He nailed all three shots, part of his 16 point, six rebound afternoon.

“We just have to come mentally prepared,” Lydon said.  “We just have to play together and I think we do a good job of that here. Then on the road, there are some tough environments and stuff like that.  We just need to focus on what the goal is and come out and play our game.”

A Jordan Chatman three at 12:38, followed by a Robinson layup, got the Eagles within 14 at 52-38 with 11:12 remaining.  That was the closest BC got the rest of the way.

Easy (Bench) Rider

The Orange responded with a 13-0 run, started with a Gillon-to-Battle three, and emphatically capped with a Lydon put-back slam to brought the crowd to its feet.  Syracuse was up 65-38 with 6:40 remaining.  There was little in doubt.

At the 2:07 mark, and SU up 26, Boeheim sent in the walk-ons.  On '90s Day in the Dome - where several Orange greats were remembered from the last decade of the past millennium – Adrian Autry Jr. entered onto the court where his father, now an SU assistant coach, starred at guard.

Revenge of the Fallen

Syracuse allowed eight threes in this game, half as many as they did less than two weeks ago in the loss to the Eagles.

“The numbers don’t lie in games we play good defense,” Lydon said.  “It is something we have to be aware of and hold each other accountable.”

The Day After Tomorrow

Syracuse improves to 11-7 on the year, 3-2 in ACC play.  Next up is a tough Monday night matchup in Chapel Hill with the Tar Heels of North Carolina at 7 p.m.  The 11^th ranked Tar Heels defeated 9^th ranked Florida State at home Saturday afternoon, 96-83.

“Against UNC, it’s a big game,” Battle said.  “I know that the crowd is going to be amazing there, so that will be a great one for us.”

Boston College drops to 9-9 on the year, 2-3 in the ACC.  The Eagles will try to regroup for their next game at home on Wednesday night against Virginia.  The tip for that game is set for 8 p.m.

Photos: Syracuse Gets Revenge on Boston College

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- After an embarrassing loss to the Boston College Eagles to begin ACC play, the Syracuse Orange got some redemption on Saturday afternoon at the Carrier Dome.

At the start of the day, both teams had the same conference record (2-2) but Orange (11-7) defeated the Eagles (9-9) 76-53.

The Orange will now travel to the University of North Carolina on Monday and the Eagles will head home to Boston to host Virginia on Wednesday.

Here is a look at the game in photos by Jacqueline Mundry. Click on any photo to start slide show.

Virginia Tech Carves Up Syracuse Zone for 83-73 Win

Story and Photos by Brianna Adams 

BLACKSBURG, VA. - The Virginia Tech Hokies ended their two-game losing streak and the Syracuse Orange men's two-game win streak and made it look easy, winning 83-73 on Tuesday night at Casell Coliseum. The Hokies repeatedly got behind the Syracuse zone for dunks, and got enough open looks to hit eight three-point shots in 20 tries, while turning the ball over just six times.

“I thought we were much more connected,” Virginia Tech head coach Buzz Williams said. “Obviously, we executed the scheme of what we wanted to do. That’s why we won.”

Take the Lead and Run 

Following two major losses at No. 9 Florida State and NC State, Virginia Tech returned home with one goal in mind: redemption.

The Hokies (13-3, 2-2 ACC) dominated the court from the beginning to end of the ACC matchup. After taking a 6-5 lead on a free throw from Chris Clarke, they  ran with it to the finish line. While Syracuse (10-7, 2-2) tied the game more than once it never managed to get ahead. 

In the second half, the gap got wider as Syracuse struggled to score. Virginia Tech took a 15-point lead with less than five minutes remaining in the game. Syracuse pressed and cut the lead to 74-68 with 1:33 left but could get no closer and Virginia Tech finished with the ten-point margin. 

"Our interior defense was not good in either half and I thought that was a big key," Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. "Offensively we didn't really get anything accomplished that we wanted to and part of that was their defense was very good."

Hokies’ Offensive Powerhouses

Virginia Tech showed strength early on, especially in starters Justin Bibbs and Zach LeDay. Redshirt senior forward LeDay was crucial in giving the Hokies that early lead. Five minutes into the game, LeDay put up back-to-back dunks to boost the Hokies lead to three.

LeDay led all scorers with 22 points. Junior guard Bibbs gave the Hokies a strong finish, scoring 11 points in the last seven minutes of the game. Five Virginia Tech players finished in double figures including redshirt senior guard Seth Allen who returned after missing two games due to a head injury against NC State.  

Defensive Struggles for Syracuse

Syracuse had come off of two great defensive showings in Miami and Pitt, holding Miami to 55 points and Pitt to 66.Yet the Hokies sliced through Syracuse’s zone to outscore the Orange easily. 

LeDay hit 18 of his points from the field and Clarke was 5-for-6 in the paint. 


6'10" freshman Taurean Thompson lead all Syracuse scorers with 18, Andrew White III had 15, Tyler Roberson 14 and freshman Tyus Battle 13. 

But while Thompson put up the points, had eight rebounds and blocked three shots. Boeheim said he remains a liability on defense. 

“He’s just not good on the defensive end of the zone; that’s why he didn’t play the last two games,” Boeheim said. 

Syracuse Starting Lineup

Syracuse has struggled with its lineup this season. Last season, the same lineup was used in 30+ games. For the past three games though, Boeheim has kept the starters the same showing success against Miami and Pitt. 

The starters, Tyler Lydon, White III, Thompson, John Gillon and Battle have proved to act more connected than earlier lineups. Yet individually in this game, they struggled.

Gillon had nine points on 2-9 shooting and just three assists to go with two turnovers. Frank Howard, who got 13 minutes at guard had a single basket and four assists.

"Our point guard play has been really good and it was as bad as it's ever been tonight," Boeheim said.

“[Virginia Tech] made good adjustments for the second half,” graduate guard White said. “[It] kind of discouraged our movement from side to side, the ball stuck a little bit and you know we all took some bad shots at times.

 Lydon had had eight straight games in double digits but only scored a basket in the loss. Near the end of the first half, Lydon missed a three and fell on the way down limping off the court. Despite claiming he was fine to Boeheim, the struggle was there as the forward finished 1-for-5 from the field and 0-for-2 in threes-point attempts.

"I probably should have just not played him," Boeheim said. "He said he was fine but players are going to say that."

”

What’s Next

Virginia Tech will next host ACC foe No. 20 Notre Dame on Jan. 14 in search of its fourteenth win and eighth straight home victory. 

Syracuse looks for redemption against Boston College at the Carrier Dome on Saturday at 4:00 p.m., following the blowout by the Eagles at Conte Forum on New Year's Day. 

The Orange Red Hot From Deep; Stifles Panthers, 77-66

Story by Robert Schiff

Photo by Jon Cerio


SYRACUSE, N.Y. - After securing its first conference win of the season Wednesday night against Miami, the Syracuse Orange continued its winning ways on Saturday afternoon against Pittsburgh, defeating the Panthers, 77-66, in front of 20,034 fans at the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse used solid-shooting and high-energy defense to roar out to a 36-8 lead, then fended off teh Panthers' comeback efforts in the second half for the double digit win that was not as close as the final score indicates.

"The difference in the game was our defense," Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. "The first half was probably some of the best defense we've played since I can't even remember when."


All About the Defense

Coming off of an impressive overtime win at home against 11th ranked Virginia on Wednesday night, the Panthers came into the Carrier Dome on Saturday looking to beat the Orange for the sixth straight time. Syracuse matched and perhaps even increased its intensity from Wednesday's performance against Miami on the defensive end, holding the Panthers to 21 points in the first half, on just 21-percent shooting from the field.

After a disappointing start to the season, Tyler Roberson is starting to find his groove, and has seen his minutes increase. The senior finished with a career-high six blocks against the Panthers - a couple of them generating standing ovations from the Orange faithful in attendance.

"Even when I wasn't playing I tried to watch the game, see what's going on and come to practice and play hard," Roberson said.

Roberson finished with a team-high ten rebounds, to go along with four points.

The Orange also contained the ACC's top two scorers - Jamel Artis and Michael Young - to six points in the first half, on just 2-of-13 shooting.

"They were active," Pittsburgh Head Coach Kevin Stallings said of Syracuse's defense. "We got shots blocked, even when we got the ball where we needed it, they were able to recover and make deflections and blocks."

The Orange held Pittsburgh to just 35 percent shooting (20-57 FG), and only 6-for-19 from behind the arc.


Early Run

After an early 8-0 run by the Orange, Panthers' guard Chris Jones hit a layup to cut Syracuse's lead to 6. That was Pittsburgh's last basket for more than an eight-minute stretch.

The Orange pounced on the Panthers, going on a 22-0 run, beginning with back-to-back three-pointers by Andrew White III. Tyus Battle then drilled two 3s of his own, ballooning the Orange's lead to 28-8 with 9:24 left in the first half.

Consecutive three-pointers from Tyler Lydon and John Gillon put the Orange up by 26, before Battle finished the run with a layup, giving Syracuse that 36-8 lead with 5:27 to go in the half.

Earning His Spot

For the second straight game, Gillon delivered in his starting role at tyhe point for the Orange. The graduate transfer from Colorado State finished with 20 points, going 6-for-12 from behind the arc, and leading the team with 11 assists. Gillon played all 40 minutes for the Orange.

"It gives you a certain confidence that coach has trust in you," Gillon said. "You just go out and play hard because you don't want to let him down."

"Being familiar with the system, and knowing he's going to be in there, his confidence level is up," Boeheim said.

Keeping the Lead from Deep

With his team down by 21, Pitt's leading scorer Jamel Artis tried to get the Panthers back in the game. After a dismal first half (1-6 FG), the senior nailed back-to-back three-pointers, cutting the deficit to 15. Artis finished with a game-high 23 points.

However, the Orange answered right back.

Gillon drilled a three, followed by White connecting from deep, and the Orange's lead was back up to 21 with 16:26 left in the game. Syracuse finished shooting 28-for-54 from the field, with half of its field goals coming from behind the arc.

The Panthers again tried to claw back, as they went on an 8-0 run, capped off by a pair of free throws from Michael Young, cutting Syracuse's lead to 14 with 2:53 to go. Young finished with 17 points for Pittsburgh. However, it was too little, too late for the Panthers.

Gillon's eleventh assist resulted in a Tyler Lydon slam, putting the Orange up 16 with 1:36 left, and sealing the deal for Syracuse.

"It was a really great effort," Boeheim said. "Pittsburgh is a tremendous offensive team. I think one of the best offensive teams in the country. We've got a long ways to go. A lot of work to do. We have to get a lot better. I think, somehow we've got to get Taurean [Thompson] playing better on the defensive end. We have to get Frank [Howard] back involved. Fortunately there's a lot of tough games in this league that you can get a chance to win if you play well. And if we play well, we'll have a chance."

Looking Ahead

The Orange's next test will come Tuesday night, as Syracuse (10-6, 2-1 ACC) heads to Blacksburg, Virginia, looking for its third-straight conference win, taking on the 21st ranked Virginia Tech Hokies (12-3, 1-2). Tipoff is at 7 p.m. The Hokies got hammered by Florida State (15-1, 3-0) in Tallahassee Saturday afternoon, 93-78.

Pittsburgh (12-4, 1-2) will head to Louisville, Kentucky, for a matchup with the 9th ranked Louisville Cardinals (13-3, 1-2). Tipoff is at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.