Syracuse looks to bounce back tonight against Texas Tech in the Legends Classic

SYRACUSE, N.Y - After a rollercoaster loss to Texas last night, SU finds itself right back on the hardwood of the Barclays Center tonight. After earning its first defeat of the season Syracuse (3-1, 0-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference) faces Texas Tech (4-1, 0-0 in Big 12 Conference) for the third-place game of the Legends Classic tonight.

In SU’s loss last night, it trailed by three with just 10 seconds left in the game and Orange guard Jaquan Carlos was fouled on a fast-break and earned two free throws. The senior missed his first shot at the line, effectively eliminating SU’s hopes at a comeback as UT went on to sink two free throws immediately after.

At halftime, the Orange trailed 41-30 and the game had blowout written all over it. The Longhorns simply couldn’t miss and shot over 60% from the field in the first 20 minutes. However, SU’s defense rose to the occasion in the final 20 minutes.

“I thought we were more connected, we were in our gaps, and we didn’t get extended” Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry said. “We plugged the holes so there was nowhere for guys to go. Today, things came together [defensively] in the second half more consistently and for a longer period of time.”

The Orange will be looking for that defensive effort throughout it’s matchup with the Red Raiders tonight. TTU is one of only 19 teams in the country that averages over 90 points per game. And despite a heroic defensive effort late last night, SU’s defense still ranks in the bottom 40 for most points allowed per game with 79.8. Syracuse’s defense could particularly struggle against one forward for Texas Tech. In yesterday’s heartbreaking 78-77 loss to Saint Joseph’s, Sophomore JT Toppin dropped 22 points and a career-high 18 boards.

But you know what they say, the best defense is a better offense, and Syracuse’s offense clicked out of the halftime break last night. Center Eddie Lampkin Jr. tallied 12 of his 14 points in the second half. And coming off of a career-high 38 point outing in Saturday’s win over Youngstown State, SU guard J.J. Starling led the team with 16 points including four of the last 6 buckets of the game for the Orange.

“At the end of the day, my teammates trust me to make decisions” Starling said. “It all stems from the trust and chemistry we have with each other, but I’m willing to make those plays or do whatever it takes to win games.”

Although the junior’s performance helped keep the game close yesterday, making plays at the charity stripe was the deciding factor. Once again, ‘Cuse was ice cold from the line. Syracuse shot 9-18 on free throws last night including five misses in the final 10 minutes of the game.

“You gotta make ‘em” coach Autry said. “We work at them and we’re not making them. We’re leaving so many points on the board, and even in our first couple of games we were still missing free throws. That’s the difference.”

The Orange shoot just 61.1% on free throws this season, a bottom 30 mark in the entire country. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders shoot at a 76.8% clip from the line, a top-50 mark in the nation.

There’s not much time to rest for either squad after suffering their first losses of the new season. Syracuse faces Texas Tech in the third-place matchup of the BKG Legends Classic tonight. Gametime is at 7 and WAER’s coverage starts at 6:30 with our pregame show, Countdown to Tipoff.