Syracuse kept its bleak NCAA Tournament hopes alive, stopping Georgia Tech in the final 22 seconds to win 74-73 in overtime.
The Orange have now won six-of-seven, but came out uncharacteristically flat against a lowly Yellow Jackets team. Georgia Tech started the contest on a 12-3 run in the opening five minutes, and seemed to have a little more energy than Syracuse throughout the first half.
LISTEN: Syracuse shot just 33% from the field in its overtime win against Georgia Tech. @k__loughran says SU won't win games, if the team's shooting doesn't improve.
— WAER Sports Talk (@WAERSportsTalk) February 22, 2022
Do you agree? Call in at 315-443-2011 to let us know! pic.twitter.com/CWXV0mCBaj
However, SU was able to tie the game at 33 by halftime, thanks to Jimmy Boeheim’s 15 points in the opening 20 minutes.
“I thought Jimmy (Boeheim) kept us in there in the first half when nobody else could get anything going,” said Head Coach Jim Boeheim.
In the second half, Jimmy took a backseat as his brother, Buddy, decided to assert himself. The Senior was ice cold in the first half, scoring zero points, but found his rhythm when the team needed him the most.
With six minutes to go, SU went on a mini 5-0 run to open up their largest lead of the contest (six). But, Georgia Tech didn’t back down one bit against Syracuse. Guard Dallan "Deebo" Coleman immediately responded with back-to-back threes, and after a frantic last few moments, the Orange and Yellow Jackets went to overtime tied at 63 all.
In OT, both teams went blow-for-blow, but just like in regulation Syracuse appeared to have some breathing room with a 74-70 with under two minutes to play. The Orange wouldn't score another point from there. Georgia Tech’s Kyle Sturdivant quickly answered with his only three of the contest shortly after, cutting the deficit to just one. After Buddy turned the ball over with 22 seconds remaining, the Yellow Jackets got the chance to seal what would’ve been a heartbreaking loss for the Orange.
The final possession was hectic to say the least. First, Georgia Tech’s Michael Devoe surprisingly shot a three early, then missed another jumper after an offensive rebound. Coleman corralled another offensive board, and the Orange - led by Bourama Sidibe - quite literally built a wall in the paint to prevent him from putting the ball back up and in.
“We came up with some unbelievable defensive plays,” said coach Boeheim. “He (Sidibe) made some huge defensive plays…”
Following a timeout, Devoe missed his third shot of the possession at the buzzer, and SU took it 74-73.
Going into the game, Syracuse probably wasn’t going to gain much from winning in terms of tournament resume. Sure, it’s a win, but beating Georgia Tech at home isn’t that “impressive” in the eyes of the committee. However, if SU lost then it would’ve been a major backbreaker, and the Orange would’ve - most likely - been forced to win the ACC to make the big dance.
So the fact SU was able to hang on is good enough as it now enters a make-or-break stretch. Here’s the slate: at Notre Dame on Wednesday, Duke at home Friday, at North Carolina next Monday, and the regular season finale against Miami (FL) on March 5. Winning all four seems like an inconceivable concept, but if the Orange want to make the tournament, then this is their chance to prove it.
Syracuse is back in action on Wednesday as it travels to South Bend, Indiana to take on Notre Dame. Game time is at 7:00. GZA Countdown to Tipoff begins at 6:30 on the original home of the Orange, WAER.