Five Takeaways: Syracuse 112 Indiana 110
Syracuse survived a double overtime thriller with Indiana 112-110 Tuesday night. Here are my five takeaways from the game.
1. Resilience
This was a game where Syracuse could have easily let the game slip away and end up on the losing end in regulation. Heck, even in the second overtime. After holding an 18 point lead in the first and 16 point halftime advantage, Indiana went on a run in the second half to take the lead midway through the second half. Momentum was squarely on Indiana's side and it felt like the Hoosiers have solved the Orange on both ends. Syracuse bounced back, however, and took control back. Indiana made a couple of plays down the stretch to force overtime. In the first overtime, Indiana went up by three right away. In the second overtime, the Hoosiers took a four point lead. Frank Anselem stepped up with four free throws and a couple of rebounds with some defensive stops. Cole Swider hit a big three in the first overtime. Buddy Boeheim took advantage of his primary defender fouling out and made some big buckets. The mental strength it took to turn the game back around with it getting away from you after squandering such a large lead cannot be understated. This was a tremendous effort to get the win.
2. Turnovers
When you give up 110 points and allow the other team to shoot 55% overall and 41% from three point range, it is not a good defensive game. However, one positive was forcing turnovers. The zone defense, which morphed into what looked like a 1-3-1 (Jim Boeheim would say it was more like a 1-1-3) for much of the game, helped the Orange force 26 Indiana turnovers. That was critical as it led to 24 fastbreak points. A nice adjustment with the 1-1-3 (or 1-3-1, whatever) by the coaching staff, and it certainly made a difference. On the flip side of that, Syracuse did a good job taking care of the basketball with only 12 turnovers. Now five of those were from Joe Girard, at least four of which were completely unforced. He needs to take better care of the basketball. But overall, it was a solid day from Syracuse in that regard.
3. Jesse is so Good, But Needs to Stop Unnecessary Fouls
Jesse Edwards fouled out near the end of regulation and that nearly cost Syracuse the game. I believe Syracuse gets the rebound on the missed free throw that led to the tying free throws if Edwards is in the game. He makes such a difference on both ends. Two of his five fouls were unnecessary over the back calls when he was clearly boxed out. Another was an unnecessary reach in that fouled him out. Edwards has become a critical piece to this team and has to make sure he is available.
4. The Bench
Jim Boeheim said after the game that if you are going to be on the floor, you have to do something positive for the team. Whether it is offensively, defensively or on the boards. Symir Torrence had some good moments and Anselem was key in the overtimes. Benny Williams is still trying to find himself at this level. He will. He is a hard worker with a ton of talent. Right now, the focus should be rebounding and defensive effort. The occasional backdoor cut or lob or transition dunk is gravy. We have seen him make a difference defensively and attack the boards. I think he will be a contributor in those areas before the season ends. The bench, for Syracuse, is still a work in progress.
5. That Was a Fun College Basketball Game
A year ago, this was played with no fans. While the double overtime excitement would have still made this game memorable, it was that much more so with 21,000-plus in the Carrier Dome making a lot of noise all night. Two teams battling back and forth, big plays by both, a legitimate All-American and Player of the Year candidate in Trayce Jackson-Davis playing at a high level, Syracuse getting a big lead, squandering it and bouncing back. The game had just about everything. My sleep schedule be damned. That was a lot of fun to watch.
