Syracuse basketball couldn’t overcome a big first-half deficit to Texas.
Syracuse’s second-ever meeting with Texas definitely was not as sweet as the first (a Final Four victory in 2003). A late comeback attempt was not enough to beat the Longhorns in Brooklyn.
Takeaway #1: (Not so) Free Throws
9 for 18 on the night from the charity stripe. In a four-point loss. You do the math.
Syracuse was even in the bonus with around ten minutes to play. But it doesn’t help you if you can’t make those free throws when they’re fouled.
Texas, on the other hand, made their free throws (12/14), and made them late. It was the difference late in the Barclays Center.
Syracuse basketball is shooting 63.6% from the line this season through four games. That’s tied for 312th in Division I.
“You gotta make ‘em. We gotta make ‘em. And we’re not. We’re leaving a lot of points on the board,” said Autry.
Takeaway #2: Cardiac ‘Cuse
Don’t call it a comeback! Like actually do not call it one.
Texas led by 16 points in the first half. They looked lost until the Orange put together a 5-0 run to end the half.
Then, in the best defensive half Syracuse has played this season, the team started to come back. They clawed all the way back on runs engineered by Eddie Lampkin Jr. and company. Syracuse even got their first lead of the game with 4:07 left in the second half on a Lampkin Jr. free throw.
“I came out in that second half knowing that I had to be way more aggressive,” said Lampkin.
Syracuse held Texas to 29 points in the second half, the least amount of points they have scored in half this season.
So no matter who they’re playing, it will be a close game. It’s nice to know that’s how this team will operate. The Orange are definitely worth the price of admission, whether they are playing a 2OT game vs Youngstown State or a back-and-forth bout with Texas from the SEC.
Takeaway #3: Balanced scoring
Four Syracuse players in double figures? And a fifth was one point away from joining them in that category? Not too shabby.
J.J. Starling had 16, Lampkin with 14, Chris Bell had 11, and Jyare Davis helped off the bench with 11. Freshman Donnie Freeman had 9 in his homecoming.
Five players got to double figures in the season opener vs Le Moyne, but it’s nice to see ball movement and shared scoring against a Power 5 team that has been to the NCAA Tournament each of the last four seasons.
Next up for Syracuse (3-1): vs. Texas Tech (4-1) (Brooklyn, NY) – Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. EST
Next up for Texas (4-1): vs. Winner of St. Joe’s (4-1) – Nov. 22 at 9 p.m. EST