Syracuse basketball entered its Atlantic Coast Conference clash at Boston College on Saturday night with the Orange struggling and the Eagles on a roll.
The ‘Cuse had lost three straight and four of its past five league encounters. Some SU fans have declared the 2022-23 season over for the Orange. Boston College, meanwhile, had triumphed in three of its last four contests, including a home victory against No. 20 and ACC standings’ leader Clemson a few days ago.
So when Boston College hosted Syracuse basketball on Saturday evening inside the Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass., it’s understandable that a lot of ‘Cuse fans weren’t overly optimistic about the Orange’s chances versus the Eagles.
However, Syracuse basketball got strong performances from two of its seniors and two of its freshmen to collect a much-needed win on the road against Boston College, 77-68.
Senior center Jesse Edwards posted a personal-best 27 points, to go along with seven rebounds and four blocks, as the Orange moved to 4-4 in true road encounters during the 2022-23 stanza.
Syracuse basketball snapped its three-game setback streak by winning at Boston College.
The ‘Cuse (14-10, 7-6 in the ACC) still is searching for its first quadrant-one victory of the present term, although having a .500 record on the road is pretty solid, even its wins in this department are versus sub-par squads Boston College, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Louisville.
Besides Edwards, the Orange received solid outings from senior shooting guard Joe Girard III, freshman point guard Judah Mintz and freshman wing Justin Taylor.
Mintz, who has had some struggles in recent games, produced 15 points, five assists, four steals and just two turnovers.
As a collective unit, Syracuse basketball went a poor 4-of-14 from downtown, however, Taylor was great from the perimeter, going 3-of-3 from beyond the arc and finishing with nine points. Girard didn’t shoot well from the field, but he had 18 points, six boards, four assists and connected on 9-of-9 from the charity stripe.
Speaking of the free-throw line, the Orange had a huge edge there against the Eagles (11-13, 5-8). Boston College went 3-of-4, while the ‘Cuse hit on an impressive 21-of-24. SU, as a whole, did make 51 percent of its field-goal attempts, too.
The Eagles aren’t a great shooting team, but the Syracuse basketball zone defense was active and solid, limiting Boston College to 41.5 percent from the field and 31.4 percent from 3-point land.
In moving to 57-26 versus the Eagles in their all-time series together, the Orange had an 18-7 advantage against Boston College in points scored off of turnovers. Syracuse basketball also held its own on the glass.
Next up, the ‘Cuse will hit the road again, going to the Sunshine State for an ACC collision with Florida State on Wednesday, Feb. 8. The tip-off is slated for 7 pm, with television coverage on ESPNU.