Syracuse gutted out a 112-110 double overtime win over Indiana on Tuesday evening at the Carrier Dome.
Here are some quick hits from the game:
- It is getting hard to imagine this Syracuse team playing good defense for most of a game. The first half effort was very good, as they held Indiana to under 36 percent shooting and forced 13 turnovers, but what could have very likely been a walkover second half was anything but as the Orange permitted 55 points. If not for forcing ten more second half turnovers, SU would have almost certainly lost in regulation.
- While this team tends to open the offense with Jimmy Boeheim going toward the basket, it may want to start looking at using Jesse Edwards as the first attack. Edwards is shooting just under 82 percent from the floor on the season and 88.5 percent his last three games. The center’s development the last three games has been a very pleasant surprise.
- The 2-3 zone forces three-point shots, but 49.9 percent of the opponents’ field goal attempts coming from beyond the arc through seven games is a level not seen by the Orange. Syracuse opponents attempted 48.1 percent of their shots from deep in the 2018-19 season, giving up a 32.9 percent success rate. This season, it’s a 37.8 percent rate from long range for opponents, which is especially troubling given the sheer number of attempts from deep (32.1 per game).
- The single-season free throw percentage mark at Syracuse is held by Gerry McNamara at 90.9 percent during the 2002-2003 season. Cole Swider (90.5 percent), Buddy Boeheim (90.2 percent), and Joe Girard III (90.0 percent) are all looking like threats to that record.
- Somehow, with all this firepower, the Orange went nearly eight minutes of the second half with just one field goal, a dunk by Edwards. As evidenced by those aforementioned free throw shooting marks, driving to the basket should be a simple way for this team to stay out of scoreless streaks.
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- The Orange are off until Saturday, when they travel to Florida State for the ACC opener for both teams. The Seminoles (5-2) will likely be angry after getting routed by #2 Purdue on Tuesday night, 93-65.
- Caleb Mills, who had a team-high 22 points against Purdue, leads the team with 12.1 points per game. Malik Osborne backs him with averages of 11.6 points and a team-leading 7.1 boards per contest. FSU has a deep squad with nine players averaging at least 13 minutes a game.
- The ACC Network will televise the game, which gets underway at 4:00pm Eastern.
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