Syracuse falls short again in Legends Classic, loses 79-74 to Texas Tech

It was a tough 24 hours for Syracuse men's basketball, particularly after a crushing 70-66 loss to Texas to begin the Legends Classic. A game in which the Orange rallied from a 16-point deficit only to fall short in the last moments.

Syracuse (3-2, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) showed grit for the second night in a row, but fell short 79-74 against Texas Tech (5-1, 0-0 Big 12 Conference) in the consolation game of the Legends Classic at the Barclays Center.

“Coming down here and playing against this level of competition, I thought we improved, particularly on the defensive side of the basketball. I thought we had made significant progress and shown what we are capable of,” head coach Adrian Autry said.

Syracuse kept things close for the most of the game, particularly in the first half, when it finished with a 9-2 run to level the score at 31 at halftime. The Orange performed solid on defense, holding the Red Raiders, who averaged 90 points per game, to only 40% shooting.

That trend continued from Thursday's game, when SU limited Texas to 29 points in the second half while shooting only 10-of-30 from the field. That coming after the Longhorns were 61% from the field in the first half.

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But after a tie early in the second half, Texas Tech’s back-to-back 3-pointers sparked a run that gave them a 44-38 lead. The Red Raiders would build that lead to 12 points with just under nine minutes remaining.

Syracuse responded with some fast-pace offense, using a series of free-throw trips to claw back into the game. Freshman Elijah Moore and junior JJ Starling were key to this rally, with the Baldwinsville native scoring 27 points in the game and making clutch plays down the stretch.

“Elijah, Chris and JJ, those are the guys taking the shots,“ Autry said.

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However, Syracuse’s struggle to make shots coincided with its inconsistency to mount a second-half run. After guard Jaquan Carlos hit a mid-range jumper to narrow the deficit to 44-42, the Orange went over five minutes without scoring a field goal. The good news was that SU’s free throw shooting — improving to 24-of-28 after a 9-of-18 performance against Texas — kept them in the game. Then, with eight minutes left, Bell drained the team’s only 3-pointer of the half, bringing Syracuse’s deficit to 59-50.

The Orange held the Red Raiders to just one field goal in the final three minutes. However, that lone basket—a layup by Darrion Williams—gave Texas Tech a seven-point lead, effectively sealing the win. Syracuse fought until the final buzzer, but it wasn't enough to secure a Quad 1 victory

"Our guys have shown that they can do it,” Autry added.

Syracuse returns home to face Cornell (3-2, 0-0 Ivy League) on Wednesday. Gametime is set for 7 p.m. with Countdown to Tipoff at 6:30 p.m.