Syracuse overcomes slow start to top Florida State

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Dec 4, 2021; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Syracuse Orange guard Buddy Boeheim (35) drives past Florida State Seminoles guard Caleb Mills (4) during the second half at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

Cole Swider scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half, including two foul shots with ten seconds to play, to give Syracuse a little wiggle room as they pulled out a hard-fought 63-60 win at Florida State on Saturday.

The Orange (5-3) overcame a gruesome first half shooting performance to pull out the win, holding the Seminoles (5-3) to 4-of-30 (13.3 percent) from long range.

Both teams posted 22-for-63 shooting days from the field, but SU made five more treys than the hosts, getting four each from Joe Girard III and Swider as they tied FSU’s Caleb Mills for game-high honors with 16 points. Swider also grabbed ten rebounds for his third double-double of the campaign.

Syracuse struggled mightily in the first half on offense, making just 4-of-29 field goal attempts to start the game. The next 21 minutes, the Orange outscored Florida State, 46-26, shooting nearly 61 percent from the field in turning an 11-point deficit into a 58-49 lead when Swider’s last three blunted a Seminole surge.

That rush of hot shooting included a 16-2 run in less than five-and-a-half minutes of early second half play to give SU a 40-37 lead. Jesse Edwards and Girard each had five points in the run, the latter hitting a very deep three to try to jumpstart the team after they gave up the opening score after the break.

The Orange lead swelled to 11 points on an Edwards dunk with just under six minutes remaining, but FSU came back, posting an 11-4 run to get within 58-55 three-and-a-half minutes later. Girard splashed his final triple to right the ship for Syracuse, who held on with Swider’s two big foul shots.

Jimmy Boeheim and Edwards joined Girard and Swider in double figures. Boeheim had 13 points and Edwards 11 points to go with a dozen boards for his first double-double.

Florida State’s Mills had 11 of his 16 points before halftime. Malik Osborne had ten points, eight in the second half, and a team-high eight rebounds for FSU. RayQuan Evans added nine markers for the hosts.

QUICK HITS:

  • SU opened ACC play with their best defensive effort of the season. The Orange permitted just 60 points, equaling their season low, and allowed Florida State to shoot just 34.9 percent from the floor, barely better than Lafayette’s 34.3 percent mark in the season opener.
  • The Orange were woeful shooting the ball in the first half, going just 8-for-35 (22.9 percent), including starting 2-for-15 inside the arc. SU made half of their field goals in their final six attempts of the session.
  • Joe Girard III has a remarkable shooting split this season. He is shooting 10-for-30 (33.3 percent) on two-point field goals and 27-for-51 (52.9 percent) from three-point range.
  • Girard also had a step on a defender during a transition opportunity in the second half, then slowed down to ensure he drew contact on a lay-up. Just go for the lay-up.
  • FSU was 4-for-30 (13.3 percent) from beyond the arc. The last Syracuse opponent to shoot worse than that was North Carolina in the 2020 ACC Tournament, as the Tar Heels went a mere 2-for-16 (12.5 percent) from long range. On January 11, 2015, SU held Florida State to 2-for-16 on threes, as well.
  • While he only had a single point, it very well may have been Symir Torrence’s best game of the season. Torrence had just over 12 minutes of playing time for the Orange, including as part of a three-guard lineup, and handed out five assists against a single turnover.
  • After missing his first four shots of the day, Jesse Edwards did not misfire again. He had SU’s final four points of the first half, then added seven more points in the second half, including a three-point play and a dunk after slipping in behind his defender.

» Related: Syracuse edges Indiana in double overtime

NEXT UP:

Syracuse will renew an old rivalry on Tuesday night when they take on #6 Villanova in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. The Wildcats stand 6-2 on the season with both losses coming against top-ten opponents, UCLA and Purdue. The game also offers an extra bit of intrigue as Cole Swider transferred to SU after playing for three seasons for Villanova.

Five different players average at least nine points per game for the Wildcats, paced by Collin Gillespie, who leads the team in scoring, assists, steals, and three-pointers. The quintet is made of players who each have made at least ten triples on the season and shoot at least 37 percent from long range.

Tuesday’s contest between the Orange and the Wildcats will follow the Tennessee-Texas Tech game that starts the Jimmy V Classic. SU and ‘Nova will tip off at approximately 9:30pm Eastern and will be televised by ESPN.

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About Jim Stechschulte 894 Articles
A 1996 graduate of Syracuse University, Jim has reported on Syracuse sports for the Syracuse University Alumni Club of Southern California on nearly a decade. He has also written a fantasy basketball column published by NBA.com. He currently resides in Syracuse.