Syracuse basketball guards fabulous in critical bounce-back Miami win

Syracuse basketball, which entered its Tuesday night affair at home versus Miami having lost three of four, fell behind 11-2 early in the first half against the Hurricanes.

I have to admit, I kind of figured that perhaps the Orange was headed for its fourth-straight setback to Atlantic Coast Conference teams, following defeats at the hands of North Carolina and Pittsburgh twice.

However, after that sluggish beginning, the ‘Cuse really turned on the jets, delivering an all-around tremendous performance inside the Carrier Dome to avoid inching closer to the league’s basement.

Throughout the remainder of this ACC clash, Syracuse basketball outscored Miami (6-7, 2-6) by a whopping 81-46, as the Orange cruised to an 83-57 victory on the Hill.

The ‘Cuse (8-4, 2-3) received stellar output from its three guards, as sophomore point guard Joe Girard III and junior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim each collected 23 points, while freshman combo guard Kadary Richmond shined to the tune of seven points, eight assists and five steals.

Sophomore forward Quincy Guerrier did his usual thing, registering 18 points and eight rebounds.

With senior power forward/center Marek Dolezaj in foul trouble, sophomore Jesse Edwards got extended run, and he made the most of his minutes. Edwards had seven points, six rebounds, two steals and one block.

Syracuse basketball puts forth a wonderful effort in trouncing Miami.

Head coach Jim Boeheim, in his post-game Zoom call with media members, called this a really nice win for the Orange. The Hurricanes recently upset Louisville and hung really tough with multiple ACC opponents of late.

Still, as we detailed in a preview of this match-up, Miami has struggled to score in the 2020-21 campaign, and that held true versus the ‘Cuse. The Hurricanes shot about 40 percent from the field and a paltry 16 percent from beyond the arc.

Syracuse basketball, on the other hand, shot exceptionally well from the field and made a concerted effort to drive to the basketball. It connected on an efficient 40 percent from deep and better than 80 percent from the charity stripe.

Additionally, the Orange held its own in the rebounding department, limited its careless mistakes, produced a ton of steals, and held a 27-3 advantage over Miami in points produced from turnovers, per cuse.com.

Syracuse basketball really needed to conquer the Hurricanes to keep up any realistic chance of staying in the conversation for an invite to the 2021 NCAA Tournament. In getting that achievement, the Orange moves to 20-9 all-time versus Miami.