62 - 55 Syracuse earned its first Power Four and conference win of the season, moving to 7-2 at home.
Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — In what was a cold shooting night inside the JMA Wireless Dome for both sides, the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team held on for its first Power Four and conference win of the season, dismantling the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets by a final score of 62-55. The Syracuse win was the 2,000th* recognized victory in program history.
JJ Starling led the way for Syracuse (7-8, 1-3) in his second game back since breaking his left hand. Starling finished with 21 points and 5 rebounds. Eddie Lampkin recorded his fourth double-double of the season, finishing with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Chris Bell added 13 points and 3 rebounds.
Syracuse was without freshman Donnie Freeman, who suffered a lower right leg injury. Chance Westry was unavailable due to illness. Freeman sat from the sideline in a walking boot.
Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry went with his eighth different starting lineup of the year, moving JJ Starling to point guard alongside Elijah Moore in the back-court. Lucas Taylor, Jyare Davis and Eddie Lampkin rounded out the front-court. Syracuse jumped out to an early 7-2 lead behind Starling. Petar Majstorovic checked in for Lampkin at the first media timeout. Chris Bell and Kyle Cuffe checked in at the 13:08 mark.
Turnovers were a problem early as Syracuse had five turnovers from five different players, only Georgia Tech failed to convert those miscues into points. Bell, meanwhile, continued to break free from his previous slump. He made his first three shots, the first an and-one along the baseline, followed by a corner three to give Syracuse a 14-8 lead. Bell then connected on a fadeaway from the low block that put Syracuse up 16-11 by the penultimate media timeout of the half.
Both teams struggled to get their offenses going in the first half, mostly due to bad execution than good defense. Syracuse missed four straight shots until Lucas Taylor connected on his second three of the half, giving Syracuse a 21-17 lead. He followed that up with a floater in the lane.
Syracuse was able to cling to marginal 25-24 lead at the half after two missed shots from Georgia Tech. Syracuse shot 11-30 from the floor (36.7%) in the first half while the Yellow Jackets shot 11-37 (29.7%). Georgia Tech was just 2-10 from three and Syracuse was 3-13. Only three free throws were shot in the first half between both teams and all were missed. Syracuse had ten turnovers at the break to Georgia Tech’s eight.
Out of the break the shot-making improved marginally on both sides. Syracuse went inside early, first by a drive and score from Taylor, then by post-feeding Lampkin, who scored down low. Lance Terry connected on a three for Georgia Tech and after a tip-in from Davis, Syracuse led 31-30 at the first media timeout.
Starling moved into double-figures on a driving layup high off the glass, giving Syracuse a five point lead as Georgia Tech head coach Damon Stoudamire called timeout at the 13:28 mark. Georgia Tech took its first lead of the second half 36-35 on Ryan Mutumbo’s first basket of the game. Baye Ndongo followed that up with a bucket on Majstorovic.
Starling answered with a corner three to tie the game at 38 with just over ten minutes to play. The Orange would reclaim the lead for the final time 42-40. Syracuse center Lampkin would go on a, by and large, self-served 9-2 run. He scored twice down low with a Starling jumper sandwiched in between. On Lampkin’s third straight bucket — an and-one from the paint — he was greeted emphatically by a fired up Majstorovic who seemed to have much to say about the three point play.
Majstorovic then picked up back to back fouls and was forced to sit with four fouls at the 7:22 mark. The game was tight down the stretch but key baskets from Bell and Starling kept the Syracuse lead at two possessions until late. Davis connected on a mid-range shot with 48 seconds left to give Syracuse a 58-52 lead, but Yellow Jackets guard Terry hit an important three with 34 seconds left to make it a one possession game.
Next, Starling made a pair of free throws to put Syracuse up five that all but iced the game. Bell had a clutch rebound on the ensuing possession and was fouled. He made both as Syracuse walked away with the 62-55 win.
Syracuse shot 24-64 from the floor (41.3%) and 4-20 from three (20%). Georgia Tech shot 24-66 from the floor (36.4%) and 4-21 from three (19%). Syracuse won the rebounding battle 48-39 but turned the ball over 18 times to Georgia Tech’s 13.
Next up
Syracuse heads on the road to face Boston College this Saturday. That game tips at 3 p.m. ET from Conte Forum and airs on the CW Network.
Note
*Syracuse is recognized as having 2,000 program wins, which includes 101 victories which were vacated by the NCAA
