Granted, its opponent is having a poor 2022-23 season, but Syracuse basketball still found itself down by six points to Florida State at halftime on Wednesday night in the Sunshine State.
Then, in the second half, the Orange outscored the Seminoles, 47-32, to come away with a 76-67 victory over FSU inside the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Fla. To me, the ‘Cuse produced perhaps its best half of basketball in the entire 2022-23 stanza in the final 20 minutes versus Florida State.
For a team that has been criticized over and over again about not being able to close out tight contests of late, Syracuse basketball sure put the clamps down against FSU after the break. Not only did the Orange (15-10, 8-6 in the ACC) outscore the Seminoles by 15 points, but the ‘Cuse also proved strong on the glass in the second half, ultimately winning the battle on the boards, 39-34.
Senior shooting guard Joe Girard III, often trashed by some Orange fans on social media, was simply phenomenal in the Orange’s victory on Wednesday evening over FSU (8-17, 6-8). As a collective unit, Syracuse basketball connected on just 29 percent from beyond the arc.
Girard, though, went 5-of-8 from deep, 9-of-16 from the field as a whole and finished with a game-high 26 points along with seven rebounds. He hit a dagger 3-pointer to seal the deal for the ‘Cuse in the closing minute of this Atlantic Coast Conference clash.
Syracuse basketball played at a high level in the second half of a road triumph at Florida State.
In moving to 10-6 in its all-time series with Florida State, the Orange defense held the Seminoles to just 38.8 percent shooting from the field and 25.7 percent from 3-point land. The ‘Cuse had a fairly lackluster first half and trailed 35-29 at the intermission. But then Syracuse basketball put on the jets in the second half.
After the break, freshman point guard Judah Mintz really showcased his ability to get into the lane and score in the paint. He tallied 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field, while dishing out a half-dozen assists.
In the game’s first 20 minutes, senior center Jesse Edwards struggled on offense. However, he was excellent in the second half. He finished with 18 points, 12 boards (including five on the offensive end) and three blocks. Edwards also went an impressive 6-of-6 from the charity stripe.
Freshman forward Chris Bell didn’t shoot well from the field, but he did manage to generate 10 points and six rebounds, with the latter statistic being the important one here.
By conquering Florida State, Syracuse basketball has won two ACC road encounters in a row, and for all of 2022-23, the Orange is 5-4 overall in true road affairs. Granted, the team’s victories on the road haven’t been against high-quality foes, but being above the .500 mark on the road is still a positive for this young ‘Cuse roster.
Looking ahead, Syracuse basketball doesn’t have a game this coming weekend, but its next four contests are versus some of the premier squads in the ACC. On February 14, the Orange will host No. 22 N.C. State.
Following that conference collision, the ‘Cuse will play Duke at the JMA Wireless Dome on February 18 then travel to Clemson (February 22) and Pittsburgh (February 25).
If somehow the Orange could go 3-1 in those four games – and I know that’s a big “if” – that would leave Syracuse basketball at 18-11 overall and 11-7 in ACC play. That would provide a ton of momentum for the ‘Cuse as the team wraps up the 2022-23 regular season and prepares for the upcoming ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C.