Syracuse Basketball: Top takeaways as 'Cuse doesn't get quad-one win vs. Clemson at home

Syracuse basketball stormed back from a large deficit in the first half against Clemson on Saturday afternoon in Central New York, but the Orange couldn't get over the hump in falling to the Tigers in a missed quadrant-one opportunity for the 'Cuse.

Clemson, which earlier this week won a huge game at No. 3 North Carolina, crushed a depleted Orange roster on the boards and dominated Syracuse basketball in paint points. The main thing that prevented the Tigers from beating the 'Cuse by a larger margin is that Clemson committed a ton of turnovers.

In his return to the Hill, former Orange guard Joe Girard III, a graduate student with the Tigers, eclipsed 2,000 career points in college and finished with a game-high 18 points, including 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc.

After Syracuse basketball saw junior forward Benny Williams dismissed from the team on Tuesday, the 'Cuse managed to squeak out a two-point triumph over Louisville at home on Wednesday night.

In the midst of a three-game home stand, the Orange had a golden opportunity to knock off Clemson, which is No. 29 in the NCAA NET rankings, but the Tigers prevailed, 77-68.

My top takeaways as Syracuse basketball loses at home to Clemson.

•The Tigers (16-7, 6-6 in the ACC) were up by as many as 15 points in the first half. In the latter stages of the second half, the Orange tied things up at 60, but from then on, Clemson would outscore the 'Cuse, 17-8, to win by nine points in just the second home setback for Syracuse basketball (15-9, 6-7 in the ACC) during the 2023-24 season.

•Syracuse basketball said on X that sophomore big man Peter Carey would be out versus the Tigers due to an upper-body injury suffered in practice. With Carey out, junior center Naheem McLeod done for this term because of an injury, and Williams gone, the Orange has severely limited depth at the power forward and center spots. That showed versus Clemson, which out-rebounded Syracuse basketball, 41-24, and held a 48-32 edge in paint points.

•For the 'Cuse, sophomore guard J.J. Starling and sophomore forward Chris Bell each had 16 points. Sophomore point guard Judah Mintz tallied 14 points, sophomore wing Quadir Copeland finished with 13 points, and sophomore big man Maliq Brown produced nine points, eight boards and four steals. Otherwise, sophomore wing Justin Taylor was ineffective, junior center Mounir Hima barely played, and for the second straight game, redshirt sophomore guard Kyle Cuffe Jr. didn't get any minutes.

•As a collective unit, Clemson hit on 61 percent from the field, 43 percent from deep and 69 percent from the free-throw line. Syracuse basketball, meanwhile, made 39 percent from the field, 30 percent from 3-point land and 73 percent from the charity stripe.

•In other statistical categories, the Tigers led 17-11 in assists, 5-2 in blocks, and 11-7 in second-chance points. Conversely, the 'Cuse led 21-8 in turnovers forced, 13-12 in bench points, 14-5 in steals and 15-10 in points off turnovers. The two squads were tied at nine each in fast-break points.

•To me, besides the rebounding issue, the biggest dilemma for Syracuse basketball was that it committed 13 fewer turnovers than Clemson, but the Orange was only plus-five in points off turnovers.

•Up next, the 'Cuse will complete its current three-contest home stand in Atlantic Coast Conference competition when Syracuse basketball hosts No. 3 North Carolina beginning at 7 pm on Tuesday, Feb. 13, with television coverage on ESPN. In mid-January, the Tar Heels pasted the 'Cuse in Chapel Hill, N.C.