Instant Juice: Syracuse 76, Boston College 53

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Syracuse rebounded from an ugly loss against BC earlier in the season
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Syracuse rebounded from an ugly loss against BC earlier in the season

A quick take on Syracuse’s 76-53 win against Boston College:

WHAT HAPPENED: Up just two points with 8:36 left in the first half, the Orange went on a 14-2 run to take control of the game. During that span, the Orange forced nine turnovers and BC went 0-7 from the field. A 13-0 spurt midway through the second half put the game into rout territory, with the Orange taking a 65-38 lead with 6:40 to go. The win put Syracuse back over the .500 mark in conference play.

» Related: Would you rather have Syracuse consistency, or UConn’s titles?

ANALYSIS: Syracuse avenged its 96-81 drubbing in Chestnut Hill to begin the New Year, and in so doing, showed how much progress its made in the last two weeks. SU followed that brutal loss with two of its most inspired wins of the season against Miami and Pitt, and remained competitive against a Virginia Tech team that had won 14 straight games at home. Jim Boeheim’s decision to tighten his rotation has resulted in crisper play at the defensive end and more inspired play on offense. Now, SU faces its toughest test of the season, with a two game road swing against No. 11 UNC and No. 20 Notre Dame and then a game later, a home game against No. 9 FSU. If SU is going to sneak into the NCAA Tournament, these games will be critical.

HERO: Tyus Battle has finally found his footing. The freshman led the way with 21 points, including three 3-pointers. Tyler Lydon chipped in 16 after taking only two shots in the first half.

ZERO: A group zero goes to BC, combing for 20 turnovers and 37 percent shooting from the field. Ky Bowman, who erupted in the first game for 30 points, had six of those turnovers and finished with just three points on 1-9 shooting.

WHAT’S NEXT: A quick turnaround for the Orange, as they fly down to North Carolina to play the Tar Heels on Monday.

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About Wes Cheng 2907 Articles
Wes has worked for Rivals.com covering the New York Knicks, as well as for Scout.com covering Syracuse athletics. Wes has also been a contributing writer for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), for SportsNet New York (SNY) as a news desk writer covering all of New York professional sports, and reported on the NBA and MLB for the New York Sportscene. A native of Long Island, New York, Wes graduated from Syracuse University in 2005 with a degree in journalism. Contact him at wes[at]sujuiceonline.com.