The trials and tribulations of the regular season become lessons learned and building blocks in March. After a 66-62 win over Florida State in the first round of the ACC Tournament, Syracuse Men’s Basketball (14-18, 7-13 in Atlantic Coast Conference) takes on SMU (22-9, 13-7 in Atlantic Coast Conference) less than 24 hours later. It just so happens that the last “tough” lesson the Orange had to learn was just 8 days ago in a 77-75 heartbreaking loss to the Mustangs.
In @Cuse_MBB's first trip to @SMUBasketball, the Orange led for most of the game. However, the Mustangs pulled out a late 77-75 win. @Austin_Barach & @swilkes04 had the call from the Moody Coliseum. pic.twitter.com/5EBX325fJM
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) March 5, 2025
Not only was that SU’s fifth loss in the past six games at the time, but it also marked its third straight defeat in which ‘Cuse held a double-digit lead in the final 20 minutes. Even after last night’s close victory over the Seminoles, Orange Center Eddie Lampkin couldn’t get last week’s loss to the Mustangs off his mind.
“We were just in a game with SMU where I felt like we really played for like 36 minutes,” said Lampkin. “So I feel like if we can play for 40 minutes, we could beat anybody in this tournament. We always beat ourselves.”
Specifically, Syracuse held a 12-point lead with less than 10 minutes left to go in the game. However, a 26-12 run from SMU sent SU home packing.
“It comes down to being mentally tough,” said ‘Cuse forward Jyáre Davis after last night’s win. “We’ve been in a lot of crazy situations, a lot of tough situations, and I think all of that has helped shape us into the team we are now.”
The difference this time around is that Syracuse just took down Florida State, a team SMU fell to in its regular season finale just four days ago. So when it comes to tonight’s rematch, there are two focal points for the Orange to hit. Defense and rebounding. The Mustangs’ 81 points per game ranks third in the conference and is top 30 in the entire country.
Ended the 5-day road trip with a bang! 💥 #PonyUp
— SMU Basketball (@SMUBasketball) January 20, 2025
🏀 117 points was the most scored in an @accmbb game since 2003.
🏀 43-point victory was the largest margin of victory in a road-conference game in program history.
🏀 Marked SMU's fifth 100-point game of the season, the most… pic.twitter.com/J2Gt9VcHGF
However, SU is fresh off a defensive masterclass. ‘Cuse let up just 62 points to FSU yesterday, its third-fewest points allowed this season.
“Our defense was really good today,” said Head Coach Adrian Autry after the win. “Whether it was the zone or in the man-to-man, we were aggressive, we got after it, but we did a good job of settling in too.”
On the glass, the Mustangs’ 39 rebounds a game is second in the ACC and is yet another top-30 mark in the country. While SMU also places second in rebounds per game, the conference’s individual leader in offensive boards doesn’t really care who he’s up against in the paint.
“I just try to take pride in my offensive rebounding,” said ‘Cuse center Eddie Lampkin. “In the last couple of years, I didn’t really get the ball so I would always just try to take advantage of the offensive rebounding. I feel like no one can stop me on the offensive glass so, why not.”
It all goes down tonight. Can Syracuse obtain and maintain a steady lead throughout the contest? Or will SMU snag an ACC Tournament victory in its first season in the conference?
To find out, tune in to WAER tonight at 9 p.m. for our pregame show McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff. Gametime for the ACC Tournament Second Round matchup is at 9:30 p.m.