How many times have we heard Jim Boeheim describe the Orange’s shooting shortcomings after a game? That certainly wasn’t the case tonight. Syracuse shot fifty percent from the field on its way to a 73-53 win over the Miami Hurricanes inside the Carrier Dome.
The Orange finished the game with 14 made three-point field goals, one shy of the program record for threes made in a single game.
Tyus Battle was held scoreless in the first half, but his teammates picked up the slack and then some. Freshman Buddy Boeheim had one of his best halves of the year, going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Before Boeheim got rolling, guard Frank Howard nailed three of his first four attempts from deep. For once this year, the Orange shot the ball incredibly well throughout the game.
Syracuse was out-rebounded by 12 at the break, but still found a way to take a three point advantage into the locker room. That pretty much sums up this game: any problem areas were covered up by SU’s hot shooting from the outside.
How it Happened
The ‘Canes blitzed the Orange out of the gates, out-rebounding them 6-1 in the game’s first five minutes. The early Miami strategy was clear: keep Syracuse out of the paint and force them to take shots from the outside. Early on that worked to perfection.
Miami was keeping the ball out of Tyus Battle’s hands and forcing other players to make plays. Eventually, Syracuse recognized that and made a concerted effort to get it inside. Once they did that, the shots from beyond the arc opened up and the Orange never really looked back.
Can't believe I'm saying this, but any Syracuse flaw tonight has been covered up by fantastic three-point shooting.
Better late than never? Syracuse up 61-44 with 8:03 to play.
— Orange Fizz (@OrangeFizz) January 25, 2019
Battle exploded for eight quick points in the second half and finished with 10 points and nine assists. Mots of those assists came in the first half when he took what the defense was giving him and deferred to his teammates.
Elijah Hughes was as good as he’s ever been tonight, burying six three pointers. He was also active on the defensive end and finished the game with three bocks.
They Said It
“We got the same shots tonight we had against Oregon. Just have to make them.” – Jim Boeheim
“We’re just playing good basketball. We have a talented group…it’s hard to get Jalen in against zones, but we’ll need him next game.” – Frank Howard
Up Next
The Orange take their three-game winning streak to Blacksburg on Saturday for a primetime matchup with #10 Virginia Tech. A win in that game would give AP voters a lot to worry about when they stack up their top 25 next week.
As we know, just because the Orange made shots against Miami doesn’t mean they’ll do it against the Hokies.
