Syracuse Snaps Clemson's Five Game Winning Streak
Syracuse played stellar defense throughout and the offense got going in the second half as the Orange picked up an impressive win over Clemson 64-54. The win improves Syracuse to 15-8 (9-7) and keeps NCAA Tournament hopes alive. It also snapped Clemson's five game winning streak and avenges a blowout loss earlier in the season.
Next up for Syracuse is the ACC Tournament.
The duo of Alan Griffin and Buddy Boeheim led the way for Syracuse. Griffin had a game with 22 points, 19 of which came in the second half, on 8-14 shooting overall and 6-12 from beyond the arc. He added 10 rebounds and three blocks. Boeheim chipped in with 17 points and five rebounds.
Kadary Richmond battled through a leg injury to score five points and dish out four assists in 18 minutes, but he clearly looked a step slower than normal. Still, the Orange defense was noticeably better when he was on the floor. Joe Girard had seven points and seven assists in 23 minutes.
Marek Dolezaj played through a fractured finger in his non-shooting hand, head coach Jim Boeheim revealed after the game. Dolezaj had eight rebounds and a block in 37 minutes, but did not score.
The Syracuse defense was very good in this one, holding Clemson to under 34% shooting. The Orange even outrebounded the Tigers 39-37 after Clemson controlled the boards with a 17 rebound advantage in the first meeting.
Al-Amir Dawes and Alex Hemenway combined for 22 points 7-13 shooting and 6-11 from three point range to lead the Tigers. The rest of Clemson's players combined to score 32 points while shooting 28% overall and 22% from beyond the arc. Clemson's best player, Aamir Sims, finished with just six points on 3-10 shooting.
