A quick take on Syracuse’s 73-65 loss to Virginia at John Paul Jones Arena on Sunday night:
WHAT HAPPENED: Up 60-57 with 1:54 left, London Perrantes put the Cavs up five with a diving layup. After Malachi Richardson lost the ball on SU’s ensuing possession, Isaiah Wilkens found Anthony Gill for an emphatic dunk, which put Virginia up 64-57 with 1:11 left. The Wahoos would hit nine of 10 free throws in the final minute of the game, and Syracuse could get no closer than three the rest of the way.
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ANALYSIS: Syracuse, down by as many as 10 points in the second half, rallied to tie the game with under eight minutes left. But SU could never wrestle the lead away, and let a resume building win slip through its grasp. Virginia hung on for the win by patiently probing the zone and consistently getting good looks. The Cavaliers shot 56.8 percent from the field and assisted on 18 of its 25 field goals while limiting the Orange to to 38.9 percent shooting. Still, the Orange shot well from downtown (13-30), and finished a difficult three game road swing at 2-1, with wins at Duke and Wake Forest.
HERO: Michael Gbinije and Richardson combined for a 47 points, including 11 for 19 shooting from beyond the arc. Malcolm Brogdon led Virginia with 21 points, while Anthony Gill and Perrantes chipped in 16 each.
ZERO: Tyler Lydon, who had shown some signs of waking from his freshman stupor over the last three games, once again disappeared. He attempted one shot (a missed 3) in his 26 minutes, frequently passing on open looks, and finished with just two points and four rebounds.
WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse hosts Notre Dame on Thursday at 7 p.m. to start a four-game home stand. TV: ESPN2.
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