Syracuse students agree: This is always the most important non-conference game.
After dropping a massive collapse in one of the worst days in American history, Syracuse looks to rebound. And fortunately for Syracuse that just happens to be another old rivalry game, the biggest rivalry. And boy are they really not good.
Georgetown's lone Big East win is against St. John's in overtime. Meanwhile, Syracuse came up just short against a good Rutgers team, but did manage to dispatch a solid Buffalo squad before their second pause. Georgetown is plagued by ball control issues. They don't cause any turnovers and they give the ball up a ton. G'town ranks 334th in the nation in creating turnovers. That is not good. Syracuse can get a big boost by turning G'town over in the paint, and getting easy runouts or free throws. Syracuse failed to drive against Pitt when the shots weren't falling. Dolezaj has said that when the shots aren't falling they need to be more aggressive. Look for Syracuse to push the ball in transition, but also feed Guerrier for buckets at the rim. If Georgetown stars missing shots from outside, that will allow Syracuse to pack the zone and cause even more turnovers in the paint. While Syracuse will likely have spurts of bad shots and no scoring, Syracuse should be able to get a lead and keep it in this one. Georgetown will have to have a player go off to stay in this one, but that seems unlikely. Georgetown is only decent at long range shooting, so they will have to go inside at some point. That's when Syracuse will start their run. Syracuse over Georgetown by 18.
This game is available on ESPN at 7:00pm. Both John and I would normally be at this game (obviously), but unfortunately we'll both be watching from the home office. Here's hoping the rightful team wins. HOYS SUXA! GO ORANGE... AND GEORGETOWN STILL SUCKS!
Labels: Basketball, Georgetown, Georgetown Still Sucks, Preview, Rivalries
Syracuse students agree: Georgetown still sucks!
Besides UConn, no other non-conference game moves the meter for Syracuse fans like Georgetown. And for good reason. If you're reading this preview, you know the history. And now Patrick Ewing is the coach at Georgetown, making his first trip back to the Carrier Dome. Syracuse has been steadily improving on offense with the return of Frank Howard. Tyus Battle has quietly decided to score and score again. And while the center position has been lackluster on offense, Syracuse's defense has been very solid the last few games. And now Syracuse takes on a Georgetown team that finished 15-15 last season, and this year has lost to Loyola Marymount, along with squeaking by USF and several other teams. Georgetown does have a very good senior player in Jessie Govan, who is averaging 19.5ppg. Syracuse will have to battle in the low post and guard the line to cover Govan, who can score from almost anywhere on the floor. Syracuse will need some stiff defense and very active hands. Any steals that translate to points will obviously only help. But despite coming down to the wire and having Tyus Battle have to will Syracuse to win in DC last season, Syracuse is a deeper team who should have more scoring opportunities and be able to get a lead on Georgetown and hold them to a decent margin in the 2nd half. I'm taking Syracuse to win one at home and put away Georgetown for the 2nd year in a row, and the last year of the current non-conference deal. Syracuse by 12. This game is available at 3:30pm on ESPN / WatchESPN. Have a 2nd TV for Army/Navy. Both John and I will be in the Dome and will hopefully be celebrating by tomorrow evening. Go Army, beat Navy, and GO ORANGE! And Georgetown still sucks!
Labels: Basketball, Georgetown, Georgetown Still Sucks, Preview
Syracuse - Georgetown Postgame Reactions OR Overtime Hoya Beatdown
0 Comments Published on 12.19.2017 by Brian Harrison
Tyus Battle again came to play, and brought Syracuse with him.
Syracuse had played Georgetown the last two seasons outside of conference play since they moved to the ACC. And both games have been a let down. Syracuse was favored in both and they were unable to get a win. It was a little understandable without Jim Boeheim in DC in 2015. Last year in the Dome was brutal. And we all thought we were headed for a similar outcome. The fact that Syracuse was playing their first true road game, and a relatively meaningless game in the grand scheme could have contributed to a brutal loss on the SU resume. But Syracuse was able to press, speed up Georgetown, get some steals and cause some misses, and earn buckets at the other end. The current Syracuse Big 3 were able to score in the 2nd half and the overtime. Battle was able to quite the loud (for this first time this season) home crowd, and Syracuse left DC with a win to remain with only one loss on the season. Syracuse was your winner in Overtime, 86 to 79.
- No surprise Tyus Battle led all scorers with 29 points. He went off in the last seven minutes of regulation and in the overtime. Notably he was 6-11 from outside the arc. He was also a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line.
- Oshae Brissett finished with a very respectable 25 points, helped by going 9-12 from the free throw line. He also led Syracuse in rebounding with 14. Just a monster day on the boards. And another double-double.
- Frank Howard had a bit of an up and down day, but he made plays when it mattered. He finished with 19 points on 9-18 shooting. What really blew up his day was going 0-5 from distance and turning the ball over seven times. Typically when your PG turns the ball over seven times, you aren't going to win many games. Howard made up for that in timely steals and buckets in crunch time. We're going to have to endure some rough times to get to the glory with Howard. I think we're going to revisit this theme a few more times before the season is done.
- Marek Dolezaj came off the bench and contributed eight rebounds and a few really clutch free throws in overtime to ice the game. He had a scary moment in the second half when he was undercut by a Georgetown player and his head hit the court in a pretty big fall. He seemed to be alright and while it must have hurt, it appears it wasn't anything more than just a good smack.
- Bourama Sidibe got in the game for 11 minutes, but was pretty worthless on the press and was really unable to catch the ball to contribute on offense. He either just isn't ready to be on the floor for extended minutes, or he is still injured. Or both.
- Syracuse was outshot in this game 45.6% to 40.6%. But Syracuse was 10-23 on 3 point shooting, unlike Georgetown who made 2-17. A big part of this was Syracuse was able to keep tabs on the shooters and when Syracuse sped Georgetown up with the press, they were looking inside, not taking many outside shots.
- Syracuse obviously crushed Georgetown on the boards, 44 to 37.
- Both teams finished with 16 turnovers. Syracuse caused a number with the press. Georgetown earned a bunch by Syracuse just being sloppy.
Labels: Basketball, Georgetown, Georgetown Still Sucks
Syracuse students agree: Most of us probably aren't at this game. Which is sad.
It's finally here. The most important non-conference game on the schedule has arrived. Arguably one of the top 5 rivalries in college football, Syracuse will again face Georgetown. While it isn't a conference game anymore, and the teams don't play each other twice a year and maybe a 3rd in MSG, this is still an important game for Syracuse and Georgetown fans, as well as college basketball. People born before 1990 might not appreciate it as much, but for long time fans, alumni of any age, and fans of college basketball (especially with an East Coast bias), this game means everything. And it is set to be rekindled in the Carrier Dome. Oddly enough, despite playing last year in DC, Jim Boeheim wasn't at the game due to his NCAA suspension. So this will be Jim Boeheim's first Georgetown game back playing in a non-conference game. And I can only imagine how badly he wants to win this game. And Syracuse can do it. Despite looking like hot garbage against UConn for a good part of the 2nd half, when Syracuse is making shots, they look pretty close to unbeatable. And Syracuse will have to make shots against Georgetown. One thing is for sure. Despite the records, Despite the schedule, and despite the players, these teams play each other tough. Syracuse will have to stop Georgetown's very own grad transfer Rodney Pryor. He is averaging around 20 points a game. If Syracuse wishes to win, they will have to find Pryor and contain him. Additionally, Georgetown is one of the more physical teams in college basketball. They drive to the basket and get to the free throw line. It's their bread and butter. Syracuse will need to be smart about defense and force Georgetown into bad shots and to pull up without driving to try and limit the amount of free baskets the Hoyas attempt. Frank Howard will need to dish the ball smartly in this one. Syracuse is successful when Howard is earning assists. If he is smart with the ball, it will put Syracuse in a good opportunity to score the basket. And sometimes Syracuse needs all the help it can get. But really, the key to this game is how well both DaJuan Coleman and Tyler Lydon play. If Syracuse is able to pound the low post, get Georgetown in some foul trouble of their own, and force Georgetown's defense to pack it in a bit to get shooters more open, Syracuse will have some solid success on the offensive end in this game. Lydon finding his shooting stroke will help, but White and Gillon have that covered for now. Syracuse needs solid low post play from Coleman, but Lydon would also add to the mix of people Georgetown must cover inside, which will create other opportunities, specifically kicking to open shooters. Syracuse really blew it last year in DC, but that was an anomaly. Syracuse was without Boeheim, it's first big non-conference test. It just wasn't in the cards. This year, Syracuse will have Boeheim, they will be honoring the Syracuse Legend Pearl Washington during the game, and Syracuse is coming off some of their best offense of the season against BU (yes I know it was BU, but they started actually playing like a cohesive offense). If Syracuse can stick to the game plan, make some shots, and adjust at the half to anything that isn't working, Syracuse should have a solid day and not ruin any of our weekends. I'll take the Orange at home over the Hoyas by 8. This game is available nationally on ESPN / WatchESPN at 12:00pm. Both John and I will be in the Dome for this one. How could we not be? Say hi and GO ORANGE! YOUR MOTHER'S A HOYA! RIP Pearl Washington.
Labels: Basketball, Farewell Big East Basketball, Georgetown, Georgetown Still Sucks, Preview
Syracuse students agree: We want to beat no other team more than Georgetown.
It's here. It's back. Students and Alumni alike rejoice. Dust off that box of hate, because you need it again. Syracuse and Georgetown are back playing each other. And while Georgetown is still in the Big East, Syracuse has moved on to the ACC. But not even time or conference affiliation can change the history of these two programs and the respectful hate we have for each other. But let's talk X's and O's. Which is simple, If Syracuse wants to win, they have to sink their shots. Georgetown has a seven footer that will be outrebounding Syracuse. Bonus if SU can keep the rebounding numbers close, but I'm not betting on it. Either way, if Syracuse keeps scoring, and playing solid defense, they should prevail by a slim margin. If Georgetown is rebounding well, Syracuse will have an uphill battle. But really, as long as Georgetown doesn't get easy put backs on their offensive end, they can afford to miss some rebounds off SU misses. Some transition offense would be nice however. If Syracuse drives and gets the seven footer Bradley Hayes in foul trouble, things will also go well. Syracuse also suffered due to the poor shot selection of Richardson and Cooney against Wisconsin. If they make economical choices in shooting, they can take the G'town crowd out of it. Oh and make your free throws. I think this game will be close. Unlike last time Syracuse traveled to the Verizon Center. I'll take the Orange in this one by four. But it should be fun for all. And I need this one you guys. I need this one. This game is available nationally on Fox (and maybe Fox Sports Go if you have a login) at 1:00pm. GO ORANGE! See you at Clyde's.
Labels: Basketball, Farewell Big East Basketball, Georgetown, Georgetown Still Sucks, Preview
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| We all did this at some point |
Syracuse beat Georgetown (in overtime)!! It really happened! We all watched it, so I'm not even going to recap it. If you're a geek like me and like stats, check out the official box score here.
Labels: Basketball, Big East Tournament, Georgetown Still Sucks, Hoya Hate
Syracuse students agree: Your mother will always be a Hoya.
Syracuse played terrible the last four minutes of the last game a couple of weeks ago against Georgetown. In terms of offense that is. Syracuse did just enough to be able to win the game, limiting the Hoyas to 57 points. But Otto Porter clearly was just having A DAY. A career high 33 points while no one else was in double digit scoring. Nate Lubick still is terrible by the way. Syracuse has the ability to win this game. You saw Villanova take them down. Syracuse could have beaten them at home but Otto Porter couldn't miss in that one and Syracuse couldn't make a basket. If Syracuse manages to find Otto Porter and play with a little more intensity on both ends of the floor Syracuse can win this game. If Syracuse goes into DC and just chucks a bunch of threes well they will be blown out of the building. College Gameday is in DC for this rare nooner / double dip to show proper respect to the rivalry that built the Big East. It's only fitting it's the last game on the schedule for both of these teams. The stakes are higher for Georgetown as if they win they basically win the league. If they lose, they probably don't. Syracuse, meanwhile will probably be the 5 or 6 seed win or lose. While Georgetown is playing for more, no player will be thinking about any of that. If Syracuse shows up, gets off the bus, and plays with focus and intensity they will win. If not, the same thing that happened in the Dome will happen again. This is the one game this season where I really have no clue what will happen. Total coin flip. The odds say that the home team will win this one and Syracuse leaves sad. So I'll go with that and be ecstatic when I'm wrong because it's OK to be wrong when your team earns the upset win on the road over your rival for the last time in conference play. So for that reason, I'm picking Georgetown by five. This game is on ESPN nationally televised at noon. One mega recap of L'ville/DePaul/Georgetown will be out early next week to prime you for the BET. The last great BET. And to the folks of Georgetown... you still suck!
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Georgetown, Georgetown Still Sucks, Preview
Georgetown - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Georgetown Ruins Things
0 Comments Published on 2.26.2013 by Brian Harrison
I'm guessing I felt worse than this.
Georgetown just ruins things. At least that's part of what makes a rivalry great. It can't be all one sided. It was in this game though in that Otto Porter was all Georgetown needed to beat the Orange.
- Syracuse had their lowest point total in the Dome ever with 46.
- Syracuse's defense did enough of a job, holding Georgetown to 57 points which usually would be enough to win the game.
- Both CJ Fair and James Southerland led the scoring for Syracuse with 13 points each. Fair the most consistent on 5-10 shooting. Both also had eight rebounds.
- Rakeem Christmas, finishing only with two points, at least led in rebounding with eight.
- MCW had only seven points and five assists on 2-6 shooting.
- Brandon Triche had ten points shooting 4-13 and 1-7 from behind the arc. Easily his worst performance on the floor since the UConn game.
- Baye Moussa Keita produced no points and only three rebounds in 12 minutes of play.
- Syracuse was 17-50 from the floor (34%) and 4-20 (20%) from deep. While the Georgetown statistics were similar, the turnovers and fouls were the difference for Syracuse.
- Despite out rebounding Georgetown by two, Syracuse had far too many empty possessions and missed layups to stay in the game in the second half.
- While officiating wasn't the reason Syracuse lost, every game Jim Burr does is a highlight reel of why he should be retired.
- Syracuse had the largest on campus crowd ever in this game of 35, 012. Unfortunately they lost. Syracuse has lost 2/3 of the last 3 record breaking games.
- Syracuse played with major intensity in the first half, but as the second half ticked away you could see that intensity and defensive energy dwindle as Georgetown hit key three point baskets to take the lead and give them a 6-8 point cushion.
- Syracuse had 16 turnovers to Georgetown's 11. A big part of the outcome of this game, and preventing them from getting the defect down to a manageable one or two possessions.
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Georgetown, Georgetown Still Sucks
Georgetown - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Goodbye Georgetown
0 Comments Published on 2.10.2012 by Brian Harrison
Syracuse wins thanks to this guy.
It was close. It was tense, It was... a typical match between Syracuse and Georgetown. The game lived up to the billing. A grinding game that went to overtime, Syracuse managed a three point win to remain atop the Big East, and send the Hoyas packing. A flight to DC is not fun after a loss I'm sure.
This game was close the entire time. The Hoyas had the lead at the half 31 to 27. Syracuse started the second half on an 8-0 run though to take the lead. There were a few more lead changes before the Hoyas tied the game. Syracuse had the chance to win the game in regulation, but the Orange failed to score so it was overtime. Kris Joseph was the hero as he drilled a three pointer to take the lead with about 27 seconds left. The Hoyas were unable to score again. Syracuse wins in overtime over rival Georgetown 64 to 61.
- Kris Joseph lead all scorers with a career high of 29 points. After missing all threes attempted in the last three games, Joseph hit 6-11 from long range, including the go ahead score that won the game.
- CJ Fair again lead Syracuse in rebounding with nine. Fab Melo had seven.
- Scoop Jardine did distribute the ball well, earning eight assists. Sadly he had four turnovers, leading the team in that category. Truth be told he has never really played well ever against Georgetown except at Georgetown last season.
- Melo had six blocks in this game.
- Syracuse obviously was crushed in the rebounding category 48 to 30. Jim Boeheim was not pleased.
- Syracuse did lead in shooting from the floor with 34.9% and 33.3% (8-24) from three. Georgetown did lead in freethrows with 87.5% over 75%. Georgetown was 33.3% and 23.8% (5-21) from the floor respectively. Oddly, it felt like Georgetown hit a ton more threes than they actually hit.
- Georgetown had 16 assists, two more than Syracuse.
- Syracuse only had nine turnovers to Georgetown's 14. So there's that.
- Dion Waiters was only 1-6 from behind the arc. Triche was 1-4, but the one he hit was in transition pulling up from the top of the key. Looked like Gerry McNamara in 2004.
- Kris Joseph played all 45 minutes.
- Syracuse has not beaten Georgetown five out of the last seven meetings.
- Syracuse winning prevented Georgetown from winning two games in the Dome in a row since '86/87-'87-88.
- Syracuse is now 19-2 in overtime in the Carrier Dome under Jim Boeheim.
- Syracuse, if remaining in the Big East one more year, will definitely play Georgetown in DC next season, but it is possible that they will be playing home and home so there is a chance the Hoyas make it back to the Dome as a conference foe one more time.
- The game was officiated very loosely. As in a lot of contact was not called. Again, just another classic Georgetown/SU game.
- If this is the last time these two teams meet in the Dome as conference rivals this is a storybook way to end it. A win in overtime.
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Georgetown, Georgetown Still Sucks, Hoya Hate
Tim Desko kept doing what he does best. That is scoring goals.
Syracuse had one of those rare two game weeks where SU has seemingly once a year. So we're covering both in this week's edition. First, we start with an overtime affair in Baltimore versus hated Georgetown, then finish with a trouncing of Albany in the Carrier Dome. First, we break down Georgetown.
Syracuse started the game well, scoring the first two goals. Then G'town evened the game to 2-2 at the end of the first quarter. Syracuse won the second quarter adding two goals, but Syracuse looked out of sorts on offense. The high scoring game we all thought Syracuse and Georgetown would be failed to appear. Syracuse and Georgetown each added two more goals in the third. Syracuse found themselves up one goal with just over two minutes to go. Syracuse killed the clock pretty effectively, giving the ball to Jovan Miller and letting him run through defensive players left and right. However he lost the ball with about 19 seconds left. Georgetown picked up the ball and they managed to run down the field unobstructed. Gerry Reilly then put the tying goal past John Galloway with five seconds remaining. Luckily Syracuse won the faceoff in overtime and Stephen Keogh put away the game winner with 2:19 remaining in the first overtime. SU was sloppy, and seemingly lost on offense on occasion. Perhaps this scare will refocus Syracuse and not take lesser opponents lightly. Syracuse was your winners in M&T Bank Stadium 9-8.
- Stephen Keogh was the leading scorer for the Orange. He added four goals in this game and one assist for a total of five points. And of course the game winning shot. He now has 14 career goals against Georgetown.
- Jeremy Thompson assisted twice on the day, while three others each added an assist. Thompson also had a goal.
- Jovan Miller led Syracuse in ground balls picking up four. He also never appears to be tired and seemingly covers the most ground in a game playing midfield.
- Ricky Buhr did the best for Syracuse at the faceoff X, winning 58. Chris Daddio went 4-9. Josh Knight won 0-1. Oddly, Jeremy Thompson failed to win a faceoff on the day. He went 0-2.
- Miller also led Syracuse in turnovers with four.
- John Galloway made 13 saves and allowed eight goals. He got the win, making him the winningest goalie in Syracuse Lacrosse history.
- Georgetown led Syracuse in shots 31-29. Georgetown also killed Syracuse with ground balls 41-27.
- Georgetown won 11-20 faceoffs in the game. That left Syracuse with nine. This is a category Syracuse usually dominates.
- Syracuse did far better in clearing the ball than G'town. SU cleared 17-19. Georgetown only managed 16-22. Syracuse caused failed clears through a tough riding defense, but G'town also didn't help themselves by making stupid mistakes as well.
- Syracuse was 1-3 on extra-man opportunities, while the Hoyas were 2-6.
- Galloway again had 13 saves, while Hoya goalie Jack Davis earns the loss while making 10 saves. He allowed nine goals.
- Syracuse had an uncharacteristic 16 turnovers, while Georgetown had 15.
- The complete box score can be found here.
- Tim Desko was again the leading scorer, adding four goals in this game. He also added an assist for a total of five points. Hopkins transfer Tommy Palasek also added four goals and one assist. A total of 11 Syracuse players contributed to the 18 goals.
- Jeremy Thompson and Collin Donahue each had two assists a piece. Seven other players had one assist.
- Thompson and Kevin Drew led in ground balls with five a piece.
- Thompson was masterful at the faceoff X in this game, winning 11-15. Chris Daddio was conversely a miserable 1-8. Ricky Buhr was 2-6. Josh Knight was 1-3. Finally both Tim Harder and Kyle Carey were 1-1.
- John Galloway had three saves and seven goals against in 45 minutes on the field and a win. Matthew Lerman had three goals against and three saves. Ben Levy had one save and three goals against.
- Syracuse dominated shots and ground balls. Syracuse led 46-32 and 37-21 respectively.
- Both teams won 17-34 faceoffs.
- Syracuse was again great on the clear, converting 24-25. The Great Danes cleared 16-23.
- Syracuse never committed a penalty in this game so Albany was 0-0 on extra man opportunities. Syracuse was 2-4.
- Albany had 14 saves, while Syracuse had seven.
- Finally, Syracuse had only 11 turnovers while Albany had 19.
- The complete box score can be found here.
Now we look at the notable games of the past week. Games involving Big East members are in italics.
Tuesday March 8:
UMass 8 - Albany 9
Hobart 5 - Binghamton 11
Georgetown 15 - Harvard 16
Lehigh 7 - Ohio State 11
Penn 6 - North Carolina 12
Vermont 6 - Virginia 14
Penn State 5 - Villanova 17
Wednesday March 9:
Canisus 7 - Cornell 14
Manhattan 3 - John's Hopkins 10
Friday March 11:
Army 12 - Bryant 7
Loyola 9 - Duke 14
North Carolina 9 - Princeton 5
Saturday March 12:
Ohio State 9 - Albany 11
Penn 8 - Villanova 9
Bucknell 11 - Hobart 9
Cornell 9 - Virginia 11
Quinnipiac 9 - Providence 3
St. John's 4 - Siena 10
Rutgers 6 - Penn State 11
John's Hopkins 16 - UMBC 5
Notre Dame 10 - Denver 9
Sunday March 13:
Robert Morris 14 - Detroit Mercy in OT
Bryant 7 - Drexel 8 in 4OT
Wagner 1 - Army 14
Mercer 5 - Duke 18
Tuesday March 15:
Stony Brook 9 - St. John's 4
UMass 14 - Providence 6
Villanova 10 - Princeton 9
Jacksonville 6 - Rutgers 10
The complete Inside Lacrosse scoreboard can be found here.
Now let's check the Big East standings.
1. #1 Syracuse 5-0 (1-0)
2. ARV Georgetown 2-3 (1-1)
3. #3 Notre Dame 4-0 (0-0)
4. #18/15 Villanova 6-1 (0-0)
5. Rutgers 4-1 (0-0)
6. Providence 2-2 (0-0)
7. St. John's 1-4 (0-1)
Noter Dame continues to roll. Georgetown took a stumble against Syracuse to knock them down to second place in the league. Villanova has impressed early, only losing to Bucknell. Rutgers is also playing well, only losing to Penn State over the weekend. Due to their performance against Georgetown John Galloway was named Big East Defensive Player of the Week. For earning four goals including the game winner Steven Keogh earned Honor Roll status.
Syracuse will next face rival Johns Hopkins from the Carrier Dome this Saturday at 6:00pm on ESPN U. If you are basketball'ed out that is. Since Syracuse is playing on the Friday/Sunday slates for the first part of their bracket this should allow you to view this game without having to make the choice. This is a premier rivalry in the sport and it should be fireworks in the Dome. At least for Syracuse. Added viewing pleasure is seeing Hopkins transfer Tommy Palasek try to light up his former team in the Carrier Dome. Should be a great one.
Labels: Big East, Georgetown, Georgetown Still Sucks, Lacrosse, Rivalries
Georgetown - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Plot Twist!
1 Comments Published on 2.10.2011 by John Brennan
Just two of the many dejected faces; Carrier Dome; 2.9.11; 9:01pm
This game of Big East heavyweights was progressing just as you'd expect: each team fighting and clawing their way forward however possible. Neither team was particularly outplaying the other, and the score was reflecting that. The second-largest crowd in the Carrier Dome was orange-clad and into the game. The players were playing with emotion. The coaches were animated. This had all the makings a great rivalry game should have. But the normal plot would have brought this down to the final seconds and the outcome would depend on who could make the final shot, or the final mistake. Instead, Syracuse forgot how to play good basketball for the final six minutes and allowed Georgetown to build itself enough of a lead to make any attempt at a Syracuse comeback futile. The Hoyas beat the Orange 64-56.
- CJ Fair scored the last Syracuse field goal with 6:35 left to go. The score then was 53-49 Syracuse.
- From there, Georgetown went on a 15-3 run to end the game.
- I think the real do-or-die moment came when Jim Boeheim called a timeout with 4:43 left to go. Syracuse was grasping onto a 53-52 lead. I got this pit in my stomach. I knew Syracuse had two options on how to finish out the game: continue to be aggressive, score, and hold onto a slight lead; or, let the air out of the ball, probably end up with a bunch of empty possessions, and give up the lead.
- They chose the latter.
- I was extremely unimpressed with the possession coming out of that timeout. A couple passes followed by a horrible Scoop Jardine three-point attempt, no boxing out, and the ball going the other way.
- I'm real hesitant to say Syracuse gave up at the end of the game. So I won't say that. But what I will say is that they forgot how to play good basketball. They were making bad choices on offense: chucking up hurried threes, or taking too much time passing the ball around, or not driving at the basket like they had all game. And they weren't boxing out, seemingly not even trying for offensive rebounds. And defense? It seemed like they were so dumbfounded by the offensive play they had just run and by the lack of effort at rebounding, that they forgot to run back on defense. By the time it clicked that "Hey, we should be down at the other end," the Hoyas were already executing an easy layup or dunk.
- CJ Fair was the MVP for Syracuse on this night. 12 points and five rebounds in 28 minutes of play. He was especially good on defense, where he blocked two shots and really showed some quickness and active play.
- Speaking of the zone, I think the zone was the most active when CJ and Dion were both in. To say that about freshmen who probably had never played zone before coming to Syracuse says a lot.
- The middle of the zone, for most of the game, was occupied by Rick Jackson (4 points, 8 rebounds). After a lackluster three minutes to start the game, Fab Melo (0 points, 1 rebound) found himself on the bench for the remainder of the game. CJ Fair was added to the starting lineup at halftime.
- This, unfortunately, put Jackson right in the middle of a lot of action and, thus, a lot of fouls. He picked up his 4th foul at 14:40 to go, and promptly went to the bench.
- Luckily, Syracuse was fairing well without him. Baye Keita stepped up with four points, four rebounds, but an amazing five blocks. He was a defensive machine, and although his offense was lacking and you really want to see more rebounds from that position, his contributions kept Syracuse in this one in Ricky's absence.
- Let's talk about Scoop. We all love when he nails the three, when he hits the mid-range jumper, and when he takes it through the lane to the hoop. But otherwise, he's a bonehead and we don't like him. In 34 minutes (second only to Kris Joseph who played the whole game), Scoop chipped in seven points and six assists. The real trouble came in the last several minutes of the game, when he was doing a horrible job at the point - taking too much time, not creating plays, rushing his own bad shots... Scoop being Scoop.
- Scoop being Scoop is getting old, even for me to say. At first, it was funny. Now it's just sad. I really question why he does some of the things out there that he does -- not because I could do it better, but because I've seen him do it better, and I've seen others on the team (Brandon Triche, Dion Waiters) do it better. So why are we relying on this Scoop Jardine to run the offense?
- Georgetown played a good game, but they were by no means dominating. I really feel this is a game Syracuse would have and should have won, had things gone according to the normal aforementioned plot.
- The Hoyas' leading scorer was Austin Freeman with 14. Also in double digits was Julian Vaughn and Jason Clark (each with 12), and Hollis Thompson off the bench with 11.
- Georgetown outshot Syracuse 45.3% to 39.6%, including an edge in 3s 42.9% to 25%.
- The Hoyas also won the rebounding war 28-21, both numbers seeming low to me.
- Another game for Syracuse with double digit turnovers (14) and another loss.
- The Big East scheduled three opponents for Syracuse to play twice: Villanova, Seton Hall, and Georgetown. Also known as Syracuse's last three home losses. The good news is, if trends mean anything, Syracuse had already beaten Seton Hall on their home floor, and travel to Villanova on February 21 and to Georgetown on February 26.
- We all love to bitch about the officiating, and last night was no exception. They were terrible. But they called it both ways, and you can't blame the loss on the refs. That being said, this was one of the most frustrating efforts by the officials I've seen in a while. They went from calling very little in the first half (Syracuse only had five first-half fouls) to then calling everything -- and I mean everything -- in the second half. If you're going to call a loose game, fine. If you're gonna call everything, fine. But be consistent! Have you ever seen so many charging fouls in a game? You gotta feel for the players, not only having to adjust to the other team's gameplan, but the officials' enforcement of the rules!
- Big props to The UConn Blog for their Syracuse Love Day. They lost a bet fair and square, and took their day of devotion to Syracuse like a bunch of champions. We've praised them before here for "getting it," and this yet again proved that they are good people. Hopefully that can be an at least yearly tradition.