It was a top-heavy affair for Syracuse men’s basketball in its 92-84 victory over Arizona State this evening. After a double-digit loss to Virginia Commonwealth yesterday, the Orange made the most of their second-helping against the Sun Devils.
All five Orange starters played at least 35 minutes in the victory with Buddy Boeheim pacing the lot with 39. The sharp-shooting Boeheim brother logged 23 points despite struggling to 1/5 three-point shooting.
But for coach Boeheim’s squad, a rough scoring day for its offensive heartbeat meant a great day for everybody else. The wing notched five assists while opening up several more with stray flare cuts. All in all, Boeheim’s impact on the offense was palpable.
“Buddy made a couple of great feeds to Jesse,” asserted the swingman’s father. “He was really resilient down the stretch.”
As Boeheim alluded to, the Orange found themselves in a close game despite climbing to an 18-point lead at halftime.
Coming out of the halftime break, the Sun Devils converted on their first three triples, cutting the deficit to single-digits. Combo guard Joe Girard cauterized the bleeding with a rainbow three of his own to start the second half. Girard finished the game with 16 points on 10 shot attempts. Aside from Girard’s made triple, the Orange stood by as Bobby Hurley and his ASU squad dissected the 2-3 zone. Of course, the scheme’s curator understands the limitations of a zone scheme.
“When you’re playing with the three-point shot and they shoot it the way they do, a 16 point lead is nothing.”
Nobody was hungrier to protect the lead than 6’11” big man Jesse Edwards. The Flying Dutchman totaled 21 points and eight rebounds while shooting a season-best 9/11 from the field, albeit entirely around the basket.
On the defensive end, Edwards’ mobility was a building block for the Orange. Despite standing just a shade under seven-feet, Edwards’ wiry frame and great backpedal-speed paved the way for a dominant outing protecting the paint. Edwards finished the game with a pair of blocks, and his coach believes his defensive stand saved the game.
“If you’re going to give up that many threes, it’s not going to be easy,” lamented Boeheim. “We got lucky and Jesse was able to block a couple of threes. He’s been a big factor in the game for us.”
Villanova transfer Cole Swider capped off his best game in orange and blue with a 19-point affair. The small forward led the Orange with four made triples.
Meanwhile, Cornell transfer Jimmy Boeheim poured in a modest 11 points and 8 rebounds.
With a win over Arizona State, the Orange snapped a two-game losing skid. S.U. enters tomorrow’s matinee against 19th-ranked Auburn at 1-1 in Battle for Atlantis Tournament play.
Action for tomorrow’s bout begins at 4:00 with Countdown to Tip-Off on WAER. The game starts at 4:30.