At the end of the most exciting games of the ACC season, Syracuse basketball just didn’t have quite enough to pull off the upset to Virginia, losing 73-65.
If you are a fan of college basketball, this was a must watch game for you. The entire game, start to finish was fantastic. Both teams put everything out there on the table and you certainly have to admire the passion and energy that they brought to the court from the opening tip to the final buzzer.
Let’s start with Virginia. Wow am I impressed with them. They played a complete game. They played some excellent, unselfish basketball on offense and had their typical smothering, fundamentally sound game on the defensive end. They were seemingly everywhere on both ends of the court. Some of their passing on offense was reminiscent of the San Antonio Spurs, it was truly that beautiful to watch.
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And then there was Syracuse. The scrappy underdog that just wouldn’t quit. It seems like every time Virginia looked to pull away, Syracuse hit a huge 3-pointer. Usually it was Malachi Richardson or Michael Gbinije, who combined to hit an eye-opening 11-19 3-pointers. Both of them showed off unlimited range, incredible determination, and an uncanny ability to make clutch shots in clutch moments.
Honestly, this might be one of my favorite games I’ve ever watched Syracuse lose. Aside from those two players continually proving that they have ice water running through their veins, I thought the game was incredibly well officiated. There were maybe one or two calls I wasn’t happy with, but that’s very impressive when compared to some of the games I’ve watched this season. The refs let both teams play for the most part, and called a very solid game.
For Virginia, the difference came from Malcolm Brogdon, London Perrantes, and Anthony Gill. The trio combined for 53 of the teams 73 points and hit more clutch shots than I can even mentino. Perrantes, who came in as a 56% 3-point shooter, hit 4-8 from deep, including a couple deep bombs that made all the difference. Brogdon made several clutch free throws down the stretch, finishing 6-7 from the line and also hit some huge 3’s of his own. Gill grabbed eight boards and hit a number of 15-footers that were as pure as they come.
Syracuse was led by Gbinije and Richardson, as I mentioned earlier. Gbinije ended up with 24 points and added 3 assists and 4 steals to that total. Richardson had 23, including 6-10 from 3, and hit huge shot after huge shot down the stretch.
This game was epic. Although the final score of 7 points might not show it, this game was much closer than that. Syracuse had the game tied with under three minutes to go and did everything they could to pull out the victory, but it just wasn’t meant to be. Virginia was too strong down the stretch, and their outstanding passing and ball movement proved to be the difference.
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Regardless of the loss, I couldn’t be more proud of Syracuse basketball. They left it all out there on the floor and truly proved that they belong in the conversation for the NCAA tournament. Syracuse next plays on Thursday at home against Notre Dame, a game they pretty much must win.
Check back later in the week for coverage of that game and some more detailed analysis of this slugfest with Virginia.