Joe Girard's Free Throws Lift Syracuse to Double Overtime Win Over Indiana
Joe Girard hit two free throws with 0.8 seconds left in double overtime to give Syracuse a 112-110 win over Indiana in the ACC/BIG-10 Challenge. With the win, Syracuse improves to 4-3 on the season while Indiana suffered its first loss and dropped to 6-1. Next up for the Orange is the ACC opener at Florida State on Saturday. That game tips at 4:00 p.m. Eastern and will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
Syracuse played one of its better halves of basketball in the first half of this one, especially on the defensive end. The vaunted zone morphed into more of a 1-3-1 rather than a traditional 2-3, and that seemed to give Indiana a lot of difficulty getting into its offense. That, combined with 58% shooting from the floor, allowed Syracuse to lead by as many as 18 and take a 16 point advantage into the locker room.
Indiana came out looking like a different team after halftime, and went on a 17-5 run in the first seven minutes to get the Hoosiers back into the game. In fact, Indiana would continue its hot shooting and take 63-60 lead midway through the half. Syracuse would respond with an 11-4 run to take the lead back. The Orange controlled things for the rest of the half until the final 30 seconds. Syracuse led by six with 26 seconds left, but a Jimmy Boeheim missed free throw on the front end of the one and one gave Indiana an opening. After a made three and two Swider free throws, Syracuse elected to foul rather than allow a potential game tying three.
Khristian Lander made the first one and purposely missed the second. Indiana superstar Trayce Jackson-Davis got the rebound and was fouled. He made both free throws to send the game into overtime.
The game was back and forth in both overtimes. With Jesse Edwards fouling out in regulation, Frank Anselem made some critical plays in the second overtime including four straight made free throws.
All five Syracuse starters scored in double figures with three players eclipsing 20 points. Buddy Boeheim scored 27, Jimmy Boeheim had 26 and Joe Girard contributed 22. Jesse Edwards had 17 points, five rebounds, five steals and three blocks. Jackson-Davis had 31 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks to lead Indiana. Miller Kopp added 28.
