Right before the under-eight-minute media timeout, Cornell led Syracuse by 11. With their backs against the wall, the Orange made a late push to tie the game at 37 at halftime. SU turned that push into a surge once the second half started. At the under-eight-minute media timeout in that half, the Orange had amassed a 28-8 run against the Big Red and led by 20. The 'Cuse never looked back from that run, and pulled away from Cornell 78-63.
When Syracuse trailed by 11, its largest deficit of the day, Joe Girard stepped his game up. The senior added on to his five points and scored 10 more in the final 8 minutes to tie Cornell at halftime. Girard led SU in scoring with 19 points.
LISTEN: Joe Girard got the scoring started for the 'Cuse against Cornell. @JohnEadsIV had the call. pic.twitter.com/F2L2lyVeP0
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) December 17, 2022
Head coach Jim Boeheim said that if it weren’t for Girard’s early efforts, Syracuse wouldn’t have been able to mount the comeback.
“Joe kept us in there in the first half,” Boeheim said.
In the second half, the other Syracuse starters helped the cause on offense. Jesse Edwards put up 10 points, while Benny Williams and Chris Bell scored 9 of their own. Judah Mintz racked up 7 points, which included an and-1 layup to cap off a 20-6 SU run by the under-12-minute timeout. All five starters finished the game with double-digit points.
LISTEN: @Cuse_MBB created a double-digit lead on a Judah Mintz slam dunk. On the next possession, the freshman finished a layup through contact. @Calchristo1 had the call.
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) December 17, 2022
🎙️@waer883, https://t.co/BG0Q3sGq3P pic.twitter.com/BU8IH4jEyJ
Despite the victory, Boeheim believed his squad got lucky. In the second half, Cornell shot 24% thanks to over 30 missed field goals.. Boeheim said that those misses - not Syracuse’s play - gave the Orange a huge boost down the stretch.
“Cornell was better than us today,” Boeheim said. “The only reason they won the game is because they missed shots.”
With the win, Syracuse improves to 8-4 and extends its win streak to five games. The Orange face another 8-4 team who has been hot as of late as well in Pittsburgh. The Panthers have won 7 out of its last 8 games. This marks the first ACC matchup in the Dome for Syracuse this season.
Gametime between the Orange and Panthers is scheduled for 9 p.m. WAER’s coverage begins at 8:30 with McClurg Team Countdown to Tipoff.