Michael Gbinije

Men's basketball: Shoddy free-throw shooting dooms Orange in loss to Miami
By Tyler Piccotti
January 25, 2015 - 2:28am
Key misses by Rakeem Christmas and Michael Gbinije down the stretch allow the Hurricanes to escape with another conference victory.

Syracuse was forced to erase a double-digit deficit against Miami twice on Saturday, and it succeeded both times with an array of contested three-point field goals and a yeoman’s effort in the paint by center Rakeem Christmas. 

But when presented with easy points at the free throw line, the Orange showed nowhere near as much resolve and let both comebacks go to waste. 

Men's basketball: Balanced SU offense holds off Boston College
By Julia Morris
January 21, 2015 - 5:06pm
With Rakeem Christmas battling foul trouble, the Orange's secondary scoring options led the team to a rebound win.

For 17 minutes of Syracuse’s game against Boston College, Orange center Rakeem Christmas found himself in an unfamiliar place:  the SU bench.  

Syracuse’s leading scorer couldn’t escape foul trouble on Tuesday night, but his teammates stepped up in his absence.  Four other Orange players scored in double figures to lead the Orange (14-5, 5-1 Atlantic Coast) to a 69-61 victory over the Eagles (8-9, 0-5 Atlantic Coast). 

A Christmas to remember: SU big man has career night in win over Wake Forest
By Tyler Piccotti
January 14, 2015 - 5:43pm
The senior poured in a career-high 35 points as the Orange continued its hot start in conference play.

With freshman forward Chris McCullough now sidelined for the rest of the season, Syracuse will need to move forward without half of its potent one-two punch inside the paint. 

But on Tuesday night against Wake Forest, the other half proved he’s capable of delivering knockout blows all by himself. 

Men's basketball: Cooney buries Florida State with hot shooting
By Tyler Piccotti
January 13, 2015 - 3:06am
The redshirt-junior's season-high 28 points propelled SU to its first ACC home win of the season.

During the opening weeks of the 2014-15 season, Trevor Cooney’s potentially lethal three-point stroke lay buried in a dormant slumber. 

But if there were any doubts that he would eventually find it again, Cooney erased them Sunday night against Florida State. 

Orange begins ACC play with momentum... and lingering questions
By Tyler Piccotti
January 2, 2015 - 12:01pm
Without a signature win to its credit, SU is hoping for a strong push during conference play to bolster its tournament chances.

Since the Orange’s opening victory against Kennesaw State on Nov. 14, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim has repeatedly said his team has the potential and talent to win any game. All it needed was time, both for key underclassmen to find an offensive flow and the team’s confidence to return to a level not seen since last season’s 25-game winning streak. 

But as the Orange’s second slate of Atlantic Coast Conference games began Saturday at Virginia Tech, that time officially ran out. 

Foul finish: Syracuse squanders late lead, loses to Villanova in OT
By Tyler Piccotti
December 21, 2014 - 2:55am
A disastrous turnover in the closing seconds gives the Wildcats an opening to capitalize.

After his final shot attempt bounced off the rim and onto the floor, Trevor Cooney looked toward the Syracuse bench and tried to cleanse his body of all frustration with a forceful F-bomb. 

It was the vexation of making the right plays for more than 39 minutes and being on the verge of a statement victory over a ranked opponent, only to see it slip away in the final 17 seconds of regulation time. 

Men's basketball: Orange doomed by Greene's scorching finish in loss to St. John's
By Tyler Piccotti
December 8, 2014 - 4:27am
The senior made three shots from beyond the arc in the final minutes to send the Red Storm to a monumental win.

With just under five minutes remaining and his team trailing Syracuse by three points, St. John’s guard Phil Greene IV decided he was going to shoot the ball under any circumstance. 

He simply knew he was going to make a big shot, and he didn’t disappoint when it came time to prove his gut feeling correct. 

The senior buried three shots from beyond the arc and scored 13 points down the stretch to lead the Red Storm to an impressive 69-57 victory over the Orange in front of 24,884 fans in the Carrier Dome on Saturday afternoon. 

Men's basketball: Orange overcomes tough Hampton zone to win second game of season
By Julia Morris
November 17, 2014 - 2:04am
Strong performance in paint sparks the SU offense in easy victory.

Syracuse forward Michael Gbinije drained a jumper and drew a foul with only two seconds left on the shot clock late in the second half to give the No. 23 Orange a 13-point lead over the Hampton Pirates. 

The 22,848 fans at the Carrier Dome erupted, but it was one of the few times during Sunday’s game they were able to do so. 

SU wins EA Sports Maui Invitational
By Tyler Greenawalt
November 28, 2013 - 2:32am
The Orange won its third Maui Invitational championship after defeating St. Francis Brooklyn, Minnesota, California and finally Baylor.

The last time Syracuse played in the Maui Invitational, the Orange cruised to a 76-63 victory over Indiana in 1998. This time around, the No. 8/7 Orange (6-0)  won in a similar fashion, beating the  No. 18/17 Baylor Bears (6-1)  in a 74-67 game that saw four SU players scoring in double figures.

SU rallies to prevent upset against St. Francis
By Thomas Rende
November 19, 2013 - 12:15pm
The Orange went on a 10-0 run in the final few minutes of Monday night's match-up with St. Francis to remained undefeated on the season.

A collective sigh of relief exhaled from the Carrier Dome when C.J. Fair knocked down the second of his two free throws to seal the 56-50 victory for No. 9/7 Syracuse (4-0) over St. Francis Brooklyn (2-2). The Orange offense struggled mightily throughout the game against the physical defense of the Terriers.

“You can still play physical defense and I thought they did a good job of that,” Head Coach Jim Boeheim said.