On Wednesday night, Jim Boeheim‘s Syracuse Basketball team were able to produce a productive shooting night as they saw off ACC rivals Boston College.
In an all-ACC midweek clash, Syracuse Basketball travelled to Boston to take on the BC Eagles in the Conte Forum. Syracuse opened as three-point favorites for the enticing match-up and it never really looked in doubt that this was the wrong call. As anybody who’s watched a Syracuse game, recently, will know, the Orangemen’s shooting game can cost them dearly at times. However, when they get hot, this Syracuse team is legit. This was what happened last night, as they developed a 55.8 FG%, sinking shots at a rate that proved too difficult for this BC side to match, even with the explosive junior Ty Bowman leading them.
Jim Boeheim’s visitors got off to a poor start, something that has been a recurring problem at times this year, scoring just six points over the first six minutes. This sluggish opening allowed BC to open up a nine-point gap early on. It was forward Elijah Hughes who began a strong night for the Orange, sinking two emphatic three pointers, both assisted by Tyus Battle, who went on to lead his team in what then became an impressive team performance, as well as individually for Battle, himself.
A late first half surge saw Syracuse open up a seven point lead at the half (42-35). Battle and Syracuse’s starters were the main factors in the game, but, Boeheim’s usage of his son, Buddy, off the bench gave their offence even more ammunition on a night were there was no shortage of this for Cuse. Buddy Boeheim added eight first half points, going 2-3 from three, eventually finishing with 13 on the night.
The second half wasn’t as impressive from an offensive standpoint, however, Battle came out firing and took over the game as he was patient with his shot selection, scoring 21 second half points and finishing with 31 (11-17 shooting), four boards, and six assists – leading the team. Frank Howard did well and complimented Battle on a night where he was the standout player and Pascal Chukwu was important in the paint, securing three offensive boards.
It wasn’t the most outstanding defensive performance as far as Boeheim’s zone goes, but Cuse were able to get the job done on the defensive end too. The game wasn’t a case of BC playing badly, it was Syracuse who got unusually hot, stepping up to the next offensive level. BC’s senior guard Jordan Chatman was impressive, racking up 21 points. What wasn’t a surprise was Ky Bowman‘s solid outing, as he matched Chatman’s tally. However, these offensive showings weren’t enough for BC, as they shot just 46.7% – not enough to compete with Cuse’s form.
Syracuse now holds a 15-6 record, 6-2 in conference play, while BC sits on an 11-8 record, slipping to 2-5 in the ACC. It’s going to be a difficult task now for BC to redeem theirselves in one of the toughest conferences in college hoops, as they continue a difficult schedule. This will prove to be an important win for Cuse, after an emphatic loss to Virginia Tech. They now travel to take on Pittsburgh, while the Eagles host another struggling ACC team in Notre Dame. Both games take place on Saturday.
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