A 20-4 Syracuse run broke open a close game and pushed the Orange to a 78-60 win over #14 Virginia Tech in the Carrier Dome on Saturday.
The Hokies (11-3, 5-2 ACC) never could get going offensively against the ‘Cuse 2-3 zone, shooting 32.8 percent from the field, and connecting on just 8-of-29 (27.6 percent) from three-point range.
The issue with continuity would prove costly in the big second-half Orange run. Over the 6:48 stretch in which Syracuse took control, Tech was just 1-of-9 from the floor with three turnovers, misfiring from the wings and at the rim.
“Go back and look at our spacing over the course of the game, it’s got to be a constant and it wasn’t. You have to put the thing in the basket. There’s no great secrets. I don’t care what kind of defense you’re playing against. We didn’t do enough of that today, nor did we guard at the level that we’re accustomed to guarding at,” Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said.
Syracuse (9-4, 3-3 ACC) shot 50.9 percent for the game – getting 13 layups and dunks, and shooting 23-of-37 (62.2 percent) in the lane.
Quincy Guerrier had 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor – and 7-of-9 at the line – to lead ‘Cuse.
Marek Dolezaj had 18 points, and guard Alan Griffin had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Tech got 20 points from Nahiem Alleyne, who was 5-of-10 from three-point range.
Tyrece Radford and David N’Guessan each had 10 for the Hokies.
Tech’s leading scorer on the season, Keve Aluma, who was averaging 14.8 points on 50 percent shooting coming in, had just two points on 1-of-10 shooting.
The team’s second-leading scorer coming in, guard Jalen Cone, who had been averaging 11.7 points on 40.4 percent shooting from the floor and 39.0 percent shooting from long-range, had three points, on 1-of-9 shooting, 1-of-8 from three.
“We do need for them to play well. You need for your better players to play well,” Young said. “I’ve got a lot of things sifting through my head right now. How I’m going to get those two guys going is not one of them. It’s important to them. They are serious basketball players. They’ll be better against the Notre Dame. I feel certain.
“Keve looks hesitant, and Jalen, you know, he had great shots, and he didn’t make them, but I would take the same shots from him on Wednesday in South Bend that I had tonight, and would feel very, very good about that. They’ll be fine, they’re good players.”
Story by Chris Graham
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