Down in Winston-Salem, @Cuse_MBB suffered a lopsided 99-70 loss to @WakeMBB. @Austin_Barach and @RealLiamGriffin were the call. pic.twitter.com/jiqIrwxOur
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) February 4, 2024
Syracuse men’s hoops (14-8, 5-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) got blown out by Wake Forest (14-7, 6-4 ACC) 99-70 on Saturday night. The Orange have lost two straight games for the first time since falling to 7th-ranked Tennessee and 11th-ranked Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational back in November.
Head coach Adrian Autry voiced his frustration following the game.
“I’d like to apologize to our fans and our university for that performance,” said Autry. “It’s unacceptable. It won’t be tolerated. I won’t allow it.”
Here's video of Autry apologizing for tonight's performance by Syracuse. I have never seen Autry this irritated. https://t.co/5tzL44wGaE
— Brent Axe (@BrentAxeMedia) February 4, 2024
The Demon Deacons shot the lights out and gave the Orange trouble from the jump. Wake Forest shot 66% from the floor and 63% from beyond the arc. It converted 12 three-pointers.
The Deacs led 42-28 at halftime. Guard Hunter Sallis was a big reason why. The junior notched 15 first-half points, and ended the night with 24.
Four of the five Wake Forest starters recorded double-digit points.
Although Autry was rather quiet in the postgame press conference, he noted that the defense, and every aspect about Syracuse, was subpar.
“Just a horrible game,” said Autry. “Horrific. Nothing was good about this game. Nothing at all.”
The 99 points SU allowed on Saturday is the second-highest of the season. The ‘Cuse let up 103 points against North Carolina in the middle of January.
Rebounding has been a recent issue for the Orange.
In Tuesday’s loss to Boston College, Syracuse got out-rebounded 37-27. Saturday, it was 36-23 in favor of Wake Forest.
These numbers often point to the lack of height at the center position. With center Naheem McLeod out for the season, SU is relying on Maliq Brown to fill-in, hence the shortage of rebounds.
On the offensive side, Syracuse converted just 40% of its shots and 26% from three-point range. JJ Starling led the Orange with 15 points.
Wake Forest’s offense was red hot at home on Saturday, leaving Syracuse frustrated.
“We’re going to work to my standards,” said Autry.
Syracuse looks to snap a two-game skid upon its return to the JMA Wireless Dome. The ‘Cuse welcomes Louisville (7-15, 2-9 ACC) on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. The Cardinals are coming off a home win over Florida State. WAER’s coverage starts at 6:30 p.m. with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff.