Instant Juice: Syracuse 62, Florida State 80

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Feb 5, 2019; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange guard Tyus Battle (25) looks to drive during the second half of the Orange's 80-62 loss to FSU at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Photo Credit: Initra Marilyn, The Juice Online.

A quick take on Syracuse’s disappointing 80-62 loss to Florida State on Tuesday evening at the Carrier Dome:

WHAT HAPPENED: After three free throws from Elijah Hughes with 10:11 left pulled Syracuse to within 55-52, the Seminoles scored 12 unanswered points. By the time Phil Cofer made a pair of free throws to cap the run, FSU extended to a 15 point lead with 6:25 left, and Syracuse could never threaten from there. SU was in trouble nearly immediately, with Florida State racing out to a 33-12 lead. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim employed a full court press and the Orange rallied to cut the deficit to 39-31 heading into half.

» Related: Syracuse basketball mostly seeded 8th in latest bracketology projections

ANALYSIS: Syracuse’s loss can be attributed to three main stats: (1) 5-20 from beyond the arc; (2) 14-23 free throw shooting; and (3) an unsightly 18 turnovers. The Orange generated decent looks for their outside shooters, but only Elijah Hughes (4-9 from 3-point land) was able to take advantage. Buddy Boeheim, who had made at least one 3-pointer in his last seven games, went 0-6 from downtown. Oshae Brissett (4-8) and Frank Howard (0-3) were the biggest culprits from the charity stripe. And Tyus Battle and Hughes each had four turnovers in a forgettable night.

HERO: Mfiondu Kabengele and Terance Mann combined for 40 points, including a perfect 6-6 from 3-point land. Battle led the Orange with 23 points.

ZERO: Syracuse squandered an opportunity for a potential Quad 1 win, with Florida State currently sitting at 31 in the NET rankings (a Quad 1 win is awarded at home for a top 30 win). Aside from an upcoming home game against Quad 3 Boston College and a later road game against Wake Forest, SU matches up in all Quad 1 games. It’s make or break time for SU’s NCAA resume.

WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse hosts Boston College on Feb. 9 at the Carrier Dome at 2 p.m. TV: ACC Network.

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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.