Syracuse Basketball Holds on to Beat UConn 79-76

The Syracuse basketball team staved off UConn for a 79-76 victory on Thanksgiving at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament.

This game was everything I hoped it would be. It was intense, it was full of energy, and it was two teams scratching and clawing their ways the entire time. Both teams played with fire and passion and it was a truly awesome game to watch as a fan. Syracuse was able to pull out the win, but I have to give credit to UConn for playing a spectacular game and really giving us a run for our money.

It certainly wasn’t a great start for the Orange, as they found themselves down 19-9 early. It looked like UConn might run away with it thanks to their powerful combo of inside and outside game. Thankfully for Syracuse, they woke up offensively as they were very aggressive driving to the hoop all game. Gbinije, Cooney, Richardson, Roberson, and Lydon all took the ball hard to the rim to help us claw our way back into it.

Gbinije scored 10 first half points to lead the charge for Syracuse. He also had a couple of steals near the middle portion of the half that helped Syracuse get back into the game. By the time the buzzer sounded, we had somehow climbed out of the ten point hole we had been in to tie the game at 34.

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The second half started out very back and forth. UConn took the early lead and tried desperately to stave off any SU attack. Unfortunately for them, with about 10 minutes left to play Syracuse went on a big 11-3 run to take a commanding lead.

They got the lead to as big as 10 points before UConn clawed their way back thanks mostly to three 3-pointers by Sterling Gibbs in less than two minutes. That cut the lead down to two points at 72-70. From there, Syracuse and UConn pretty much traded baskets down the stretch.

With about 40 seconds to play, Syracuse lead by three with the ball. Instead of fouling, UConn’s coach Kevin Ollie decided to try and force a turnover by playing solid defense. After passing the ball around, Trevor Cooney ran out the clock and heaved a long 3 with 6 seconds to play. Tyler Roberson grabbed a huge offensive rebound, his 12th of the game, and was able to pass the ball off before a foul was called to seal the victory.

The final score was 79-76. It was every bit as good a game as I had hoped for. Both teams hit some tremendous shots. Both teams played some outstanding defense. It was a back and forth affair and you could tell that everyone on the court was giving it everything they had.

The MVP of the game has to be Tyler Lydon. The freshman played with a poise rarely seen at any level, let alone someone playing his 5th collegiate game. He finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds for his first double-double at SU. He was electric on both ends of the court. On offense, he hit shots outside, hit shots inside, drove to the hoop, and even made his free throws. On defense, he locked down the middle of the zone. His incredible basketball IQ always had him in perfect position to contest shots, rebound, and get to loose balls.

Gbinije and Cooney also had solid games. Both repeatedly took the ball to the hole and finished there. It was really exciting to see how aggressive the whole team played. It was clear they had a specific game plan from the start, and they executed it extremely well.

Next: Syracuse vs. Charlotte: Player Grades

Syracuse now moves on to face Texas A&M tomorrow in the Championship game. That game will be on at 3 pm on ESPN. Texas A&M just defeated #10 Gonzaga earlier today 62-61. They look to be a very good team that should be another excellent test for the Orange. If SU can win tomorrow, I think there will be absolutely no question that they are a top 25 team. In fact, if they win they could jump right into the top 15.

Although shocking to say after some of the earlier games this season, they would be very deserving of it. They have taken every teams best shot and come out with victories every time. I’m very impressed with this young team. Depth will continue to be an issue, but if they can stay healthy they will be an outstanding team by year’s end.

Check back tomorrow for full coverage of the game against Texas A&M.

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