A quick take on Syracuse’s dominating 92-69 victory against Louisville Saturday afternoon at the Dome:
WHAT HAPPENED: Leading from start to finish, Syracuse (12-11, 6-6) sent Louisville (11-12, 5-8) to its fifth straight loss. SU played another exceptional game offensively in the first meeting between the teams since 2020. SU held a 43-26 advantage at halftime and didn’t let up building a 32 point lead with 5:40 left, a margin large enough to let the main reserves and walk-ons see several minutes of playing time. With its third straight victory, Syracuse went back over .500 for the season, a performance that was appreciated by an enthusiastic Dome crowd that included former Orange football coach Doug Marrone, apparently headed back to a NFL assistant coaching position, and Saturday Night Live actor Pete Davidson.
ANALYSIS: When Syracuse’s offense is on, it is a hard team to stop, For the second straight game all five starters were in double figures led by Buddy Boeheim’s sweet stroke and co-game-high 19 points. Combine the scoring output (52% from beyond the arc) with aggressive ‘Cuse defense that dared the poor-shooting Cardinals to hoist up treys (10-of-34) and forced 14 turnovers, it left little that UL interim coach Mike Pegues could do but watch a second-half rout in his third game running the team.
HERO: Edwards (one personal foul) has gone five straight games without fouling out, and he took advantage of Louisville playing without starting center Malik Williams (team suspension) to score all around the basket. Edwards finished with his 19 points on 9-for-11 shooting, adding eight rebounds, two second half blocked shots, three assists, and three steals.
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ZERO: The margin might have been even larger if it not for a sliver of sloppy play with nine Syracuse turnovers, but that’s nitpicking on a day where the Orange starting five shined overall for all 40 minutes, and the bench contributed 14 points.
WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse goes back out on the road in ACC play for its first of two games this season against Boston College this Tuesday night, February 8 at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Last season. SU swept the two regular season games winning 101-63 on the road, and 75-67 in the Dome. Boston College (9-12, 4-7) lost at Virginia this past Tuesday night, and is off this weekend. Game Time: 8:00 p.m. ET. TV: ACC Network.
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