A quick take on Syracuse’s 89-82 road win over NC State:
WHAT HAPPENED: In a game where defense came at a premium, NC State went scoreless in the final 1:57 as the Orange escaped PNC Arena with its second consecutive win. Two Dereon Seabron free throws pulled NC State to within 83-82 with under two minutes to go. But Cole Swider hit perhaps the biggest 3-pointer of his brief Syracuse career in response, and Jesse Edwards followed with a free throw to give the Orange an 87-82 lead. The Wolfpack’s last gasp came on a missed Terquavion Smith 3-pointer with 34 seconds left, and NC State couldn’t put the ball in the basket after a couple of offensive rebounds. Joe Girard was fouled after the Orange regained possession, and his two free throws sealed a back-and-forth affair.
ANALYSIS: How many times will you see a team hit 16 3-pointers in a game and still lose? That’s the exact amount that the Wolfpack hit, as they shot 41 percent from downtown and 43.3 percent from the field, and still lost. That’s because after a slow start, the Orange started the second half 11 for 11 from the field, and shot 59.3 percent from the field and 11-19 from beyond the arc as all five starters finished in double figures. Syracuse also rode one of Swider’s best games of the season (19 points on 4-4 from downtown) to crawl back to .500 and the eighth spot in the ACC standings.
HERO: Edwards had one of his most effective games of the season, finishing with 19 points, six rebounds and three blocks, and perhaps more importantly, only three fouls. The Boeheim brothers finished with 37 points, while Girard chipped in 18 points on a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line.
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ZERO: It’s no secret that Syracuse has a porous perimeter defense, but NC State really took advantage of it for most of the night. Smith finished 7 for 15 from downtown, while Casey Morsell contributed three more.
WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse returns home to play Louisville on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Carrier Dome. TV: ESPN2.
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