With 16:26 remaining in the first half, Buddy Boeheim received a pass from Cole Swider on the right elbow, pivoted, shot, and drained the three-pointer. It was the guard’s first three pointer in two games, and gave Syracuse a 7-2 lead over Georgetown. At halftime, SU was up 44-34. Thirty-Six minutes and twenty-six seconds after Buddy hit the three-pointer, the final horn sounded. The Orange were handed their second straight loss against an old Big-East rival, 79-75.
Syracuse’s (5-5, 1-0 ACC) loss to Georgetown (5-5, 0-0 Big East) marks the second time this week that Orange have led an opponent at halftime, and then crumpled in the final frame en route to a loss. Against Villanova at Madison Square Garden, the ‘Cuse led 29-26 before allowing 41 points after halftime and losing 67-53. Against Georgetown at Capital One Arena, the lead was ten at the half before Syracuse imploded and allowed 45 points.
Buddy Boeheim led the Orange with 17 points, followed by Joe Girard with 15, and Jesse Edwards and Cole Swider with 12 each. Bench players Frank Anselem, Benny Williams and Symir Torrence all played, but only for 19 combined minutes. The vast majority of those minutes came in the first half. Frank Anselem was the only non-starter to play in the second, checking in for three minutes. Head coach Jim Boeheim says his team has been through the wringer in the last two weeks.
“We’ve had five practices in 15 days, and we need some more time in the gym,” Boeheim said after the Georgetown loss. “They’ve fought as hard as I could ask them to fight, but they’re just worn out. They need some time and they need this week to get back and get some practice in.”
A lack of trust in the bench could be the leading culprit in the Orange’s defensive woes and exhaustion. Some players hardly get any rest during game time. Girard and Jimmy Boeheim both played for 39 minutes against the Hoyas, the most minutes on the team.
While defense is one of Syracuse’s weakest assets, it’s also hard to stop someone on a career night. Or should we say career half? Aminu Mohammed produced basket after basket for Georgetown, and finished the night with 23 points. Mohammed scored 18 points in the second half alone, and propelled his team to victory with 50% shooting from the field.
LISTEN: @matt_bonaparte says Aminu Mohammed is THAT guy for Georgetown and SU simply does not have a comparable X factor. pic.twitter.com/pOtcmDdpTW
— WAER Sports Talk (@WAERSportsTalk) December 11, 2021
The odd thing is that Syracuse’s struggles on defense have only applied to the second half this season. The Orange have been outscored in seven of their last eight second halves, dating back to the 100-85 loss against Colgate. In five of those aforementioned eight games, SU led at halftime.
Whether a lack of practice, exhaustion, or just plain being outplayed, Syracuse will have a week to rest and recuperate before their next game against Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks enter the Dome an abysmal 1-8, and should be a good detox after a tough stretch of games for the Orange. Opening tip between Lehigh and Syracuse is 6:00 p.m. on December 18. WAER begins its coverage of the matchup at 5:30 with GZA Countdown to Tipoff.