Syracuse defense leads in win over Marshall

For the fourth straight season, Syracuse’s basketball team stands at 9-0, having advanced their record with a 62-56 win over Marshall at the Carrier Dome on Tuesday evening. The third-ranked Orange overcame a season low in scoring through a strong defensive effort, coming up with a dozen steals and blocking ten shots against the Thundering Herd (5-2).  That strong SU defense also forced the visitors to miss their first 16 three-point shots, which helped offset a 46-33 rebounding deficit.
 
Syracuse never trailed in the game and was only tied with Marshall three times as the squads alternated baskets in the opening minutes of the contest.  The Orange were the first team to score consecutively, getting a dunk and a three-pointer for a five-point lead seven minutes into the action.  Those scores also triggered a 10-2 burst for a 16-8 lead midway through the session.  Shortly after, SU rattled off eight consecutive points to stretch their lead to 28-12 with just over five minutes left in the opening half.  Marshall responded with six straight points to shave the margin to ten, but Syracuse got a three for a 31-18 halftime lead.
 
For the opening minutes of the second half, the Orange kept the Thundering Herd at arm’s length, allowing them to get within 11 before scoring six straight points to take their biggest lead of the night at 43-26 just over eight minutes through the period.  Marshall worked the lead down to a dozen, but SU would stretch it out to 16 points again, this time with just under six minutes on the clock.  The visitors then started slicing into the lead as they found their range from beyond the three-point line, nipping the margin to nine points within two minutes.  Syracuse regained their composure, however, and held the visitors off over the closing minutes.
 
Dion Waiters led SU in the scoring column, finishing with 15 points. Kris Joseph added 11 points and grabbed a team-best eight rebounds.  Scoop Jardine was the third SU player in double figures with ten points and also collected three steals on the defensive end.  Fab Melo contributed nine points and also blocked four shots.  James Southerland blocked three shots in the game.

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About Jim Stechschulte 894 Articles
A 1996 graduate of Syracuse University, Jim has reported on Syracuse sports for the Syracuse University Alumni Club of Southern California on nearly a decade. He has also written a fantasy basketball column published by NBA.com. He currently resides in Syracuse.