Syracuse Basketball: Orange just ran out of gas in loss to Baylor

The Syracuse basketball squad put up a noble fight on Thursday evening versus Baylor, but a thin bench and a barrage of 3-pointers did SU in.

The Syracuse basketball team is out of the NCAA Tournament, its season is over, ‘Cuse Nation is sad, and I hate everything. Sure, we should all feel thankful that the Orange got invited to this year’s Big Dance, and I didn’t expect SU to necessarily make a run to the Final Four in Minneapolis.

However, eighth-seeded Syracuse, prior to its 78-69 setback on Thursday night to No. 9 seed Baylor in the round of 64 at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, had captured eight-straight successes in opening tilts during March Madness. So to get immediately ousted this go-round is a tough pill to swallow, especially because I wanted to watch our beloved boys in Orange (20-14) square off with the West Region’s No. 1 seed, Gonzaga.

A common theme for the ‘Cuse in the 2018-19 campaign is a failure to put two strong halves together. Both SU and the Bears (20-13) shot lights out from beyond the arc in the initial 20 minutes, with Baylor clinging to a one-point advantage at the break.

Then, yet again, Syracuse collapsed after intermission, going cold from the field, while the Bears remained on a tear. Ultimately, Baylor made 16 attempts from downtown, the most that the Orange has ever conceded in an NCAA tourney affair. Yes, the Bears had it going on, but the ‘Cuse 2-3 zone also seemed a bit lethargic, unable to close out on shooters time after time.

In the second half, Baylor managed to get a bit of separation, racing to a nine-point edge. SU answered, in part due to its full-court press, cutting that deficit to three. But Syracuse couldn’t get over the hump, and my gut tells me that the high altitude in Utah, coupled with a depleted roster, contributed to this result.

Head coach Jim Boeheim, by not having senior point guard Frank Howard available, basically played six guys, and you could easily decipher their tiredness in the contest’s waning minutes. Multiple mid-range jumpers by junior wing Tyus Battle came up way short. Sophomore forward Oshae Brissett missed a wide-open layup. I give the Bears all the credit in the world. They deserved to emerge victoriously.

I’m not saying that having Howard in the line-up would have led to an Orange triumph, but his length at the top of the ‘Cuse zone may have helped prevent a few of Baylor’s 3-pointers from splashing through the net. It is what it is. It seems as if Battle has suited up for SU for the last occurrence, thank you, Tyus, for a wonderful career. Syracuse has an extremely promising recruiting class arriving on the Hill this fall, so let’s admire the accomplishments of this present crew and evoke excitement about the next stanza!