Syracuse basketball loses another tight contest; last sequence atrocious

If you look at the box score from its five-point loss to Florida State at home on Saturday afternoon, by and large, Syracuse basketball played a pretty clean game.

The Orange shot well from the field, the free-throw line and beyond the arc. The ‘Cuse outrebounded the Seminoles. Syracuse basketball did commit a dozen turnovers, per the ESPN Web site, but that’s around the team’s average.

Senior forward Cole Swider, junior center Jesse Edwards, senior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim and junior combo guard Symir Torrence all put forth excellent performances.

Now, the Orange’s inconsistent defense did give up 76 points in a 76-71 setback to FSU on the Hill. The Seminoles, not a great perimeter shooting squad, connected on 60 percent from deep and 55 percent from the field as a whole.

Sometimes, opponents get hot from 3-point land. It happens. I can live with that. What I found indefensible is how the ‘Cuse ended this Atlantic Coast Conference clash.

Syracuse basketball was miserable at the game’s conclusion.

As has happened a lot in the 2021-22 campaign, the Orange built up a double-digit lead in the first half, but Florida State clawed its way back.

To their credit, the Seminoles (10-5, 4-2) play a deep bench, whereas the ‘Cuse doesn’t, so perhaps fatigue came into play. But to the Orange’s credit, after giving up its advantage, Syracuse basketball players didn’t fold. They fought tough, as they always do.

The ‘Cuse (8-9, 2-4) put itself in a good position to win this encounter or at least send it to overtime, as head coach Jim Boeheim noted in his post-game press conference.

Down by one point, graduate student forward Jimmy Boeheim, who struggled in this battle, got a great look near the rim, but his shot came up short. Jim Boeheim said he thought that Jimmy got fouled, and I agree with that assessment.

Regardless, there was time left on the clock. It appeared like Jimmy Boeheim tried to foul an FSU player after the Seminoles grabbed his miss off the glass, but Jimmy needs to be more aggressive in that situation when trying to foul.

Florida State ended up throwing a long pass for a transition bucket to go up by three points. There were a few seconds left, and Syracuse basketball had a timeout remaining.

I don’t mind Jim Boeheim not calling timeout there, so as to avoid letting FSU set up its defense. But junior point guard Joe Girard III threw an awful in-bounds pass, the Seminoles retained possession and got fouled, and two free throws later, Florida State had a five-point triumph to exact revenge after the ‘Cuse won in Tallahassee, Fla., by three points in early December.

To put it gently, Syracuse basketball isn’t closing out close games. Heading back to last month, the Orange has lost at Georgetown by four points, at home to Virginia by five points, at Miami by one point, at Wake Forest by three points in overtime, and now at home to FSU by five points.

That’s five setbacks by a combined 18 points. Now Syracuse basketball finishes up its three-affair home-stand when it hosts Clemson this Tuesday night, Jan. 18, beginning at 9 pm, with television coverage on the ACC Network.

Understandably, the bevy of ‘Cuse fans is frustrated by what’s transpired in 2021-22, and include me in that category.