Syracuse Basketball: SU misses opportunity to clinch NCAA berth vs North Carolina

The Syracuse basketball squad put up another good fight but fell short once again in their bid for the upset vs North Carolina. Here’s what happened.

The Syracuse basketball squad had an impossible challenge in the last two contests vs top-10 teams in Duke and North Carolina. Despite the long odds, the Orange had every opportunity to win this game. Here’s how it all unfolded.

One of the major problems with the Orange has been their inability to start games fast. In this one, they canned a quick three-pointer at the top of the key from Frank Howard. That was followed up by a nice defensive takeaway that was converted in the transition by Tyus Battle. Before you could blink it was a 5-0 lead for Syracuse.

UNC answered with a four-nothing run before the Orange got a nice lob pass from Battle to Paschal Chukwu who just had to lay it in.

Elijah Hughes hit two wide-open three-pointers to put Syracuse up 13-6 to start the game. An intense finish from Marek Dolezaj put Syracuse up 15-6. These fast starts have occurred few and far between this season, but SU should’ve taken a picture because that likely would’ve lasted longer.

A quick 8-0 run in 60 seconds made this one a 15-14 game. But a lot of credit has to be given to SU’s biggest star Tyus Battle who continues to hit shots with high levels of difficulty.

After starting the game so hot, Syracuse inevitably cooled off allowing the Tar Heels to get back into the game.

Although Dolezaj off the bench provided a nice spark for the Orange in that first half starting the game 3-for-3 from the field finding ways to get to the cup. The game was all knotted up at 25 with under nine minutes remaining in the first half.

I think it’s just time to admit to some undeniable truths within the Syracuse basketball program. The Orange will never be able to make free throws, Syracuse’s second home is on the bubble, and rebounding struggles come with the territory.

SU didn’t get to the charity stripe often in the first half, but when they did Syracuse missed. This season the Orange were supposed to be nowhere near the bubble, yet here we’re again, and rebounding is going to be spotty.

Something that isn’t spotty is Buddy Boeheim’s stroke. North Carolina was struggling to defend the perimeter shot, so they switched to a zone and some quick passing at the top of the key led to a wide-open three that of course, Boeheim cashed in to give Syracuse the 39-33 lead with under four minutes remaining.

To be perfectly honest the sole reason UNC was even in the game in the first half was because of the Tar Heels affinity for getting to the free throw line. Take that away and North Carolina would’ve been blown out in the first stanza.

For example, Syracuse didn’t convert their first free throw until Dolezaj went 2-for-2 from the line with under two minutes in the first half.

First-half takeaways: 

• Foul trouble for the Orange notching 14 fouls in that first half. While UNC only had six measly fouls.
• Free throw battle: North Carolina converted 19-of-21 free throws. While Syracuse was a mere 2-of-5.
• Elijah Hughes was smoking in that first half: 5-of-7 from long range to post an outstanding 15 points. Overall the Orange were 8-of-17 from deep.

Second half

Syracuse did two things well in the first half:

• Shooting well from beyond the arc.
• Also winning the battle in the paint: 12 points for Syracuse, 8 points for UNC.

That continued at the top of the second half with Paschal Chukwu getting an offensive board which provided Frank Howard a second chance opportunity to cash in a long-range attempt.

Speaking of long-range attempts, talented freshman Coby White of UNC made his fourth attempt early in the second half and converted another and one opportunity on top of that. Over the last three games, he’s been stone cold and has been struggling to score having 10 or fewer points in each of those games.

Although he had no such issues early in the second quarter making Syracuse pay whether it was from the inside or outside.

That continued with UNC going on a 12-0 run in a span of three minutes. It feels like a similar story to what we saw in the Duke game on Saturday night. Syracuse is competitive throughout the first half then they suffer an offensive lull and the team just runs out of gas.

Through the first five minutes and change of the second half, it seemed like Syracuse was heading down that same path.

Then the Orange committed to passing around the basketball and attacking the cylinder. Tyus Battle started to get to the line and the 2-3 zone started waking back up as Syracuse narrowed the gap to five: 58-53.

It seemed to be a pivotal moment in this game and Buddy drilled an open three to make it a two-point game.

The Syracuse basketball squad confirmed that statistical nugget:

"“Orange 7-0 (6-0 in ACC play) coming into tonight when they sink 10-or-more triples.”"

Speaking of threes, Tyus Battle hit a contested three to tie up the game at 63 with under 12 minutes remaining in the second half.

It seems as if Battle thrives off of hitting difficult shots in key moments. Battle continues to display the stepback jumper and hit a three and converted the rare four-point play with under 10 minutes remaining.

But perhaps the most demoralizing moments in this game came on the offensive glass where UNC got multiple second-chance opportunities on a single possession.

Syracuse then experienced another offensive lull where they went scoreless for a stretch over three minutes long deep in the game.

Even with Syracuse making a valiant effort down the stretch, the foul trouble seemed like an impossible hurdle to overcome. Dolezaj and Hughes fouled out late and the officiating was horrible in this one overall.

UNC ended up winning this one 93-85. Syracuse drops to 18-10 overall, 9-6 in the ACC with three more games to go in the regular season.

Final takeaways:

• Reiterating the free throw disparity:
  • UNC finished with 34-of-37 from free throw line.
  • Syracuse finished with 13-of-23.
• This is the first time this season that Syracuse has converted 10 or more long-range attempts and lost. Lots of reasons for that including lack of free throws, offensive lull, and some horrible officiating.
• HUGE second half from Tyus Battle. After only scoring six points in the first stanza, Tyus delivered a heroic performance that just wasn’t enough for Syracuse to get the massive win on the road. Battle finished with 26 points, 11-of-14 from the charity stripe, and canning four threes.

Up next for the Orange they continue their road trip this time to Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum to play the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. That game will be this Saturday with tip-off set for 12:00 p.m.