WHAT HAPPENED: Down 34-22 coming out of intermission, Syracuse started on an 11-0 run and eventually led by as many as six points midway through the second half. Though UVa would pull to within one with under a minute to go, Andrew White and Tyus Battle each hit clutch free throws to seal Syracuse’s upset win, and the 1000th of Jim Boeheim’s career, NCAA be damned.
» Related: Sorry, Mr. Lundari, but Syracuse is still very much alive for the NCAA Tournament
ANALYSIS: One game after picking up its first road win of the season, the Orange picked up another key resume win against the No. 9 Cavaliers. Pair that with last week’s win over No. 6 Florida State, and it’s hard to say that Syracuse isn’t at least in the hunt for one of the last at-large bids into the NCAA Tournament. In winning, the Orange also extended its home win streak to seven games, and it appears to be playing its best basketball of the season at exactly the right time. And the best part is that Syracuse still has plenty of chances to bolster its resume, with a home-and-home with No. 6 Louisville and a date with No. 21 Duke at home before the close of the season.
HERO: And there it is. Win number 1,000 for Boeheim, regardless of whatever record book that the NCAA keeps. He can thank White for his 23 points and five rebounds and Battle, who notched a career high 23, as well.
WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse travels to South Carolina to play Clemson on 2/7 at 8:00 p.m.
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