Instant Juice: Syracuse 72, Maryland 70

Battle
Syracuse defeated Maryland in an entertaining back-and-forth game
Battle
Syracuse defeated Maryland in an entertaining back-and-forth game

A quick take on Syracuse’s 72-70 win against Maryland on Monday evening at the Carrier Dome:

WHAT HAPPENED: Trailing 66-65 with 1:04 left, Tyus Battle drained a baseline 3-pointer to give the lead back to the Orange for good. On Maryland’s ensuing possession, Anthony Cowan committed an uncharacteristically unforced turnover, and Battle responded with two more free throws. Kevin Huerter, an upstate New York native drained a 3-pointer (a recurring theme throughout) to bring the Terps back within one, but Battle broke away for a slam with five seconds left, and Syracuse won a wildly entertaining back-and-forth game.

» Related: How are Syracuse basketball alums doing in the NBA?

ANALYSIS: It was a game in November that had the feeling of March basketball. Syracuse won by consistently getting inside and remaining aggressive on the offensive glass. SU outrebounded Maryland +7, including a 19-11 advantage on the offensive glass, resulting in 12 more field goal attempts. Meanwhile, Maryland remained competitive by bombing away often and without hesitation from beyond the arc, hitting 11 of 23 from downtown compared to just 3 of 18 shooting for SU. Though SU had come into this game 5-0, none came against a Power 5 team until tonight. Though prognosticators buried SU at the bottom of the ACC pre-season rankings, the Orange showed that it will be a tough out on any given night, especially with a significantly improved defense that forced 18 turnovers.

HERO: Battle led Syracuse with 18 points, including SU’s final nine points. Frank Howard chipped in 15 points and 10 assists. For Maryland, Huerter led all scorers with 23 points on 7 for 9 shooting from the field in front of a huge cheering section filled with friends and family.

WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse plays No. 2 Kansas on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 5:30 p.m. at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Fla. TV: ESPN.

For more Syracuse coverage, Like our Facebook page and follow us @TheJuiceOnline.

Avatar photo
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.