Syracuse 72, Miami 69. A buzzer-beater win for the Orange, and a much-needed one at that. Here are the top numbers from the victory.
1/8
One for eight from the field to start the game. Guess who’s statline that was going into the last play of the game…
That’s right, Quadir Copeland. The guard had an awful day from the floor. But when it mattered most, he hit a massive three-pointer. The bad start is something to keep in mind, but for now, just enjoy the shot Copeland did it.
38-22
That was the margin for points in the paint, in favor of Miami. Even though the Hurricanes were missing their top big man in Norchad Omier, they still dominated inside. In the first half especially, Miami attacked the rim well, and put a lot of pressure on SU forward Maliq Brown.
When Syracuse faces teams with dominant centers, missing Naheem McLeod’s size will become more apparent.
13
Judah Mintz tallied a career-high nine rebounds in a win over Pittsburgh last week. Today, he set another high-water mark with 13 assists. For the second straight game, SU head coach Adrian Autry called it Mintz’s best “floor general” day of his career, and that’s a fitting way to put it.
6
Another guard, another career-high. JJ Starling knocked down a personal-best six three-pointers. He’s still just 26% on the season, but his shooting stroke looks so much better. If Starling can be somewhat consistent from behind the arc, then SU will be in a great spot with its backcourt.
12
Benny Williams is now the Orange’s true backup center, and he played 12 minutes at the center position. That’s fine against a smaller Miami team, but it could be a big problem going forward. Williams isn’t strong enough to be a center in the ACC.
