Syracuse used a 3-point attack to beat Charlotte.
Syracuse topped Charlotte, 83-70, at Imperial Arena in the Bahamas on Wednesday afternoon. With the win, the Orange advance to tomorrow's Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals, where they'll meet the winner of tonight's game between Connecticut and Michigan.
As for today's game, here are three quick observations:
1. 3-point barrage, led by Gbinije
From the start, Syracuse did what it enjoys doing most: hoisting 3-pointers. And those shots were falling throughout the day. The Orange made 50 percent of their 3s, finishing 14-for-28 from behind the arc.
Syracuse was led in that department by Michael Gbinije, who scored 18 of his 26 points from 3, making six of his eight 3-point tries. Meanwhile, Trevor Cooney and Malachi Richardson each made three 3-pointers, with Richardson needing only four attempts to do so.
2. Another big showing for Lydon
While Gbinije was clearly the best player at Imperial Arena, Tyler Lydon was a close second, playing an extremely active role on both ends. Seeing time at both the center and power forward positions, Lydon filled the stat sheet with 18 points (on just 10 shots), eight rebounds, six blocks and two steals. That's been the story of Lydon's season, as he continues to do a little bit of everything for the Orange.
3. Turnover problems: not much better
Entering today, Syracuse had struggled to take care of the ball, ranking 311th in kenpom.com's offensive turnover percentage rating. The Orange were averaging 15 turnovers per game in the process. They weren't much better today, turning the ball over 13 times. That allowed for Charlotte to score several points off turnovers and in transition, a big reason the 49ers managed 70 points — the most of any SU opponent yet this season.
