A game that the Orange needed to take advantage of in the midst of ACC play didn’t play out the way SU fans hoped. This contest featured a lot of ups and downs, but most notably, Syracuse fell short to Boston College 80-75. Let’s take a look at what the turning point was in SU’s first of two straight road games.
These are the three main categories that Syracuse didn’t capitalize on. Before we dive in, don’t forget it took the Orange four minutes to crack its goose egg displayed on the scoreboard.
Backcourt: JJ Starling and Judah Mintz
The sophomores played well. Mintz and Starling each had 18 points. Although Mintz only had one rebound, he recorded six assists. He also notched two steals. Starling knocked down four triples, especially one that regained the lead for SU midway through the first half.
First Half Meltdown
The latter of the first half was not one to remember. Syracuse led 30-23 with around four minutes remaining. Then the game completely turned. Boston College ended the opening frame on a 14-0 run. The Eagles took a 37-30 lead into halftime. Oh, by the way, the start of the second half wasn’t pretty, either. Boston College posted a 7-0 run out of the break, and Syracuse trailed 44-30 before it finally a seven minute scoring drought.
Boston College Offense
Tuesday was a weird game. Syracuse had 12 steals, meanwhile Boston College had just two. Plus, the Eagles turned it over 21 times compared to the Orange’s 10. Those stats aside, once Boston College’s offense got going. It got hot in a hurry. The Eagles ended the game converting 60% from the floor and 50% from the three-point line. It’s hard to beat those shooting numbers, even if you’re playing fine defense.
Free Throws
The most frustrating of them all. SU lost by five points. It missed seven free throws. Syracuse’s free throw shooting continues to be the nemesis for head coach Adrian Autry’s squad. In the past five games, SU’s best free-throw clip is 69% in the road victory over Pitt. The other four have been between 50%, which was against Boston College, and 67%.
This is a game that Syracuse would’ve liked to have, considering Boston College’s 3-6 ACC record heading into Tuesday. In all likelihood, the Orange are going to have to steal a couple contests from the top dogs if they have any shot in March.
