Despite depleted roster, Syracuse basketball valiant in tough loss to Duke

Unless Syracuse basketball somehow, someway is invited to some sort of post-season tournament other than the Big Dance, the Orange’s disappointing 2021-22 campaign came to an end on Thursday afternoon in a loss that mirrored much of the team’s season.

Like numerous other occasions throughout 2021-22, the ‘Cuse found itself in a tight contest in the game’s waning minutes as the No. 9 seed Syracuse basketball battled the No. 1 seed Duke in the 2022 ACC Tournament’s quarterfinal round from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

In fact, despite missing its leading scorer due to suspension and other key contributors due to injury, the Orange was up by one point over the Blue Devils near the end.

But Duke made shots down the stretch, the ‘Cuse (16-17, 9-11) did not, and the Blue Devils put together a 10-0 run to seal an 88-79 triumph and likely give Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim his first losing season in 46 years at the helm on the Hill.

Syracuse basketball played pretty darn well against Duke but came up just short.

Buoyed by some strong perimeter shooting early in the first half, the Blue Devils raced out to an 11-point lead, but the Orange would claw back.

Junior point guard Joe Girard III was spectacular in the initial 20 minutes, as he compiled 18 points and the ‘Cuse actually led at the break by four points.

Syracuse basketball would up its edge to as many as seven points, but Duke (27-5, 16-4), ranked No. 7 in the country and a serious contender for a No. 1 or a No. 2 seed in March Madness, was simply too dominant in the paint after the intermission.

Let’s keep in mind here that in their two previous regular-stanza meetings in 2021-22, the Blue Devils pasted the Orange by 20 points or more in each encounter.

In this ACC Tournament affair, senior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim could not play, as he was suspended by the league for one game for punching a Florida State player in the ‘Cuse victory over the No. 8 seed Seminoles on Wednesday afternoon.

Junior center Jesse Edwards and freshman forward Benny Williams, both injured, were also unavailable. So for Syracuse basketball to hang with Duke for about 38 minutes on Thursday afternoon is a testament to the effort put forth by the Orange.

Graduate student forward Jimmy Boeheim had a team-high 28 points and connected on 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. Girard chipped in 23 points, while junior guard Symir Torrence dished out 11 assists while committing only two turnovers.

What’s more, the Blue Devils had previously crushed the ‘Cuse on the glass in the Orange’s two setbacks to Duke. In their ACC Tournament duel, however, Syracuse basketball held its own on the boards.

All in all, the ‘Cuse played its collective guts and heart out. I know there are no moral victories in sports, but I for one am quite proud of the showing that Syracuse basketball boasted versus the mighty Blue Devils.