Instant Juice: Syracuse 82, Florida State 72

gillon
Syracuse got a signature win against FSU
gillon
Syracuse got a signature win against FSU

A quick take on Syracuse’s 82-72 win against Florida State on Saturday afternoon at the Carrier Dome:

WHAT HAPPENED: After Dwayne Bacon’s 3-pointer with 1:47 left pulled FSU to within 72-70, John Gillon responded with 10 straight points to keep the Seminoles at bay. Gillon’s clutch play (he scored 13 points with under three minutes to go) down the stretch saved Syracuse from a potentially deflating loss, as the Orange nearly blew an 18-point halftime lead.

» Related: Syracuse basketball needs more Jekyll, less Hyde

ANALYSIS: Syracuse finally got its signature win, toppling a ranked opponent for the first time this season and breathed a little life back into SU’s postseason hopes. The Orange did it by going +3 on the boards against a long and athletic FSU team, and got excellent guard play from Gillon, who scored 21 points and added 11 assists. It was also a spirited defensive effort, with the Orange forcing 15 turnovers and holding FSU to below 40 percent shooting from the field. Could this be the springboard that puts SU back on the NCAA map? It has the potential to be.

HERO: Aside from Gillon, Andrew White (24 points, nine rebounds) and Tyler Lydon (14 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks) starred for SU. Jonathan Isaac and Dwayne Bacon each had 19 for FSU.

ZERO: Frank Howard still continues to struggle. He didn’t play at all in the second half, and had more turnovers (3) than points (2).

WHAT’S NEXT: The Orange will look for its first road win of the season when it travels down to North Carolina State on 2/1 for a 7 p.m. tip. TV: ESPN2.

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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.