The Orange sneak past the Wolfpack on Sunday evening in a tale of two halves
The Orange improve to 9-1 at the Carrier Dome this season with a win against NC State. Syracuse now stands at 10-5 (4-4 in ACC) this season.
The Wolfpack came into the game against the Orange without its top scorer in Devon Daniels, who most consider the best player on NC State’s roster. To make things worse for ‘State, the school announced that forward DJ Funderburk was not going to play against SU an hour before tipoff, per university policies.
The Orange were not able to attack NC States' weakness for the majority of the game. The Wolfpack outscored the Orange in the painted area 40-to-36 despite missing its most imposing presence in the painted area otherwise known as DJ Funderburk -- thanks in large part to a pair of forwards in Jericole Hellems (24 points, 9 rebounds) and Manny Bates (17 points, 14 rebounds, 4 blocks) who played a complete game on Sunday evening.
A Tale of two halves:
Regardless of being shorthanded, the Wolfpack outperformed the Orange in the first half as they led 47-38 at intermission. NC State got off to a 17-for-30 (56%) start from the floor as guard Braxton Beverly hit three early 3-pointers and forward Manny Bates stayed perfect from the floor in the opening half (5-5). If not for freshman Kadary Richmond, who went on a mini-run of his own as time dwindled in the opening half, SU would have dug itself into a deeper hole. Nonetheless, NC State led Syracuse 47-38 going into the locker room. Richmond finished the half perfect from the floor as he gave the Orange the spark it badly needed as he so often has this season.
The second half was a different story. Syracuse ramped up its zone defense and it showed. The Wolfpack’s dominance in the painted area was erased as the Orange started to get more efficient shots closer to the basket. NC State's lethal shooting from the floor also took a hit as the Orange players started to close in on shooters by making early rotations around the perimeter. Shooters were met with a hand in their face nearly every trip down the court. NC State shot just 32% in the second half along with zero 3-pointers, while SU shot an efficient 47% from the floor overall.
Alan Griffin was a gem defensively. Along with three crucial blocks, Griffin skied for six rebounds and came away with three steals. Griffin added 19 points on 6-13 shooting to round his stellar performance.
The Orange may not have won this game without Kadary Richmond. After igniting the Orange late in the first half, Richmond came out with more of the same in the latter half. The freshman finished with 14 points (6-7) in 16 minutes of action, and despite dishing out just one assist, Richmond took over ball-handling duties and made the right decisions with the rock -- as he has shown the ability to do all season long.
Syracuse scored a much-needed win at the Carrier Dome, improving to 9-1 on their home floor this season.
*Note: Bourama Sidibe was warming up with the Orange in the layup line -- he even threw down a few dunks. Could we finally see the big man in action against SU's next opponent?
Speaking of which, the Orange will have a two-day turnaround as Lousiville comes to the Carrier Dome for a Wednesday night matchup. Tip time is set for 7 p.m. as the Orange will look to get on a roll in the crucial part of this season. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
