A major arctic blast is sweeping across the U.S., and the cold feeling is especially hitting the Syracuse Orange hard after the team dropped yet another game, this time 85-76 to the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday.
The Orange trailed versus the ’Canes for over 95% of game time. At multiple points, the Orange were able tog et within striking distance, but Miami’s offense was overall a downpour and proved to be too much to overcome. Syracuse is now entering its next contest on a three-game losing streak.
Here are four takeaways from Syracuse’s defeat:
Inconsistency again proves to be killer
For this specifically, there are two key stretches where this really was pivotal.
The first came down the end of the first half. Miami gets off to a strong start. The U is up 9-0, while Syracuse had scored zero points in almost the game’s first four minutes and in six possessions, went 0/4 with two turnovers. ‘Cuse gets back into it as the half progresses, at one point knotting the contest at 27-27. At that point, with The U cold, Syracuse just couldn’t get anything to go in the bucket. The defense was rock solid, but the offense wasn’t.
Then, that trend flipped in the second half. The Orange are shooting efficiently. During one stretch, the game is once again at a tie. The team converts over 53% of its shots in the final 20 minutes of the matchup. But, Miami kept its foot on the gas, pushed the pace when it had to and relentlessly attacked the ‘Cuse defense. It made 18 of its 28 second-half shots.
Arguably the most eye-popping collection of stats on the day: Syracuse had 10 less turnovers compared to The U (16-6) outscored the ‘Canes 17-4 in points off turnovers and was only rebounded on the offensive glass by three (8-5), yet still lost by nine.
2-3 zone was the deciding x-factor
It was a scheme each team went to at some point, and it certainly swung momentum at times.
After getting cooked early, the Orange were the first to be in the 2-3 and it allowed them to cool off the Miami offense. Syracuse then stuck with it for a super-majority of game time, only briefly switching back to man.
It isn’t as easy to say it worked all the time: Miami shot over 61% overall for the game, and was really carving it up late in the second half when the Orange desperately needed a string of stops. It also led to some rotation changes with Donnie Freeman at center and Sadiq White Jr. getting extra time late in the half (notable to guard Tre Donaldson). The U adapted by going bigger with the frontcourt duo of Malik Reneau and Ernest Udeh Jr.
The U likewise went to the zone and it overall worked. Freeman and some of Syracuse’s guards occasionally had their moments in two-point territory, but the Orange went 6/21 (under 29%) from three. And again, consider the double-digit advantage Syracuse had in points off Miami mistakes.
Defensive results continue to skid
Syracuse began the year with some of the best defensive metrics in the country. It managed to stay relatively high even as the competition ramped up and with ACC play starting.
But now, it’s troubling.
After ’Cuse held Clemson to under 65 points, it has now allowed three of its last four opponents to reach at least 80. Miami did it with a balanced attack. Reneau had 20 points on 8/12 shooting, but it also got 16 from each of Donaldson and Shelton Henderson plus 14 from Tru Washington.
Without a doubt, it’s a common theme over this recent inability to stop the opponent from scoring. Boston College had four players in double-figures. Ditto for Virginia Tech and Florida State.
Keep in mind: the Orange still have notably good offenses like Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and Louisville still left on the slate.
