SYRACUSE, NY – After a six-day hiatus, the Syracuse Orange basketball team returned home and survived against the NC State Wolfpack with a final score of 76-73. The Dutch moved to 9-1 in the Carrier Dome this season.
NC State was without its two leading scorers when Devon Daniels sustained an ACL injury against Wake Forest earlier this week. According to NC State, DJ Funderburk was detained for “disciplinary reasons”. Jim Boeheim didn’t change his starters, along with Joe Girard, Buddy Boeheim, Alan Griffin, Quincy Guerrier and Marek Dolezaj.
Both teams got off to a warm start when the Wolfpack made five of the first six shots from the floor. Syracuse went 3-5 from deep (two from Griffin, one from Boeheim) and the score was tied at 11 at the first media timeout. The red-hot attack continued as NC State cut the zone for dunks, firing 7-11 from the floor on the second timeout. Braxton Beverly made his first three of the four outside attempts.
The zone was porous during the first half when NC State got the ball into the high post and settled in, with a 29-26 at 7:08. Syracuse surrendered to the inner battle as NC State held 12-6 points in the paint advantage.
Half was very close until NC State went on a 14-2 run and opened a 38-28 two-digit lead with 3:07 to play.
Kadary Richmond played well off the bench despite Syracuse’s defensive battle. He scored eight runs in the first half, including a two-to-one chance at the end of the first half. Richmond got an error on the first try, made both free throws, then scored a buzzer just before half-time.
Still, NC State took a 47-38 lead at half time. In the 2-3 zone the Wolfpack could shoot 17-30 from the ground (56.7%). Griffin scored 10 points in the first half for Syracuse, while Richmond had eight off the bench. For State, Manny Bates scored 12 points in the first half and got nine rebounds. Jericole Hellems scored 10.
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From the break, Syracuse immediately took the lead of NC State. Orange tried to settle Guerrier in with the diminutive four-foot Beverly with him. He scored four quick points while the younger Boeheim made contact with a three-point play that left the oldest from his seat.
Syracuse continued to diminish NC State’s lead by moving to Guerrier. Back to back buckets by the second-year attacker gave the Orange the first lead of the second half 58-56 with 10:15 to play.
As the match drew to a close, both teams exchanged leads and buckets. Hellems had a three-point game that put the scale in the Wolfpack’s favor again. Griffin made a jump, but Hellems immediately took the lead back on the following possession. Richmond went the other way for SU, scoring on a goal-oriented floater that gave Syracuse a 62-61 lead with more than seven minutes to play.
While Richmond took over, Kevin Keatts Beverly switched from him in favor of Shakeel Moore, but to a minimum. The frosh took him off the dribble and scored on another floater and Keatts mixed defenders on Richmond. The younger Boeheim found some rhythm as he made two consecutive threes, giving Syracuse a 70-65 lead with just over four minutes to play.
NC State came back to play within a minute, but Richmond responded on the other side with a crossover to spin, resulting in a sweet lefty lay-in of the glass to give Syracuse a three-point cushion with less than a minute to go. .
Dolezaj made a pair of free throws in a one-and-one scenario with 17 seconds to play. His free throws gave the Orange a two ball possession lead. Guerrier made an error by searching Moore for a three in the next play. He made all three. Griffin got a foul on Syracuse’s next possession and he put Syracuse ahead of three points. There wouldn’t be too late for NC State and the Orange held on for a 76-73 win.
Statistics
Griffin led Syracuse in the scoring with 19 points. Boeheim scored 17 to 4-8 from the outside. Dolezaj ended his night with 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals. Guerrier finished with his seventh double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Next one
Syracuse is hosting No. 25 Louisville Wednesday from the Carrier Dome. That game will be tipped at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ACCN.