The Syracuse men’s basketball team lost 78-71 to the Georgetown Hoyas in the schools’ 92nd all-time meeting on Saturday. The loss was the first at home for SU (6-4) this season and the Orange have now lost four of its last six.
Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim [10] was honest about the performance after the game, saying his team made too many mistakes and that his guards needed to create more plays.
“I don’t have any options; he [Frank Howard] has got to play better,” Boeheim said. “He has to play better or we are not going to win. That’s the bottom line.”
Syracuse guard John Gillon [11] echoed Boeheim’s statements, emphasizing that the backcourt had to improve its play.
“We didn’t make enough plays at the end of the day,” Gillon said. “I didn’t finish the ball well, all of us didn’t score enough. We didn’t make it easy on our bigs, and if we’re not making plays, the offense doesn’t work.”
Syracuse started quickly, jumping out to an 11-4 lead with a pair of 3-pointers from Andrew White III. [12]
For the first 10 minutes of the opening half, Syracuse was hitting from three. The Orange led 17-11 at the 11:24 mark after going four for seven from beyond the arc.
In the last ten minutes of the first, Georgetown started hitting its shots and the Orange began missing theirs, tightening up the game. Every time Georgetown came close to taking the lead, the Orange answered with a critical 3-pointer.
Both teams played well defensively, with Syracuse committing seven turnovers and forcing Georgetown into 10 by the end of the first half. Syracuse and Georgetown finished the half tied at 33.
Former Syracuse star Pearl Washington [13] was honored posthumously at halftime during the game. Washington’s family was on the court of the Carrier Dome during halftime and saw the unveiling of number 31, Washington’s number, on the surface of center court.
Syracuse kept within two possessions throughout most of the second half. Both teams traded shots and Syracuse was only down by three with a minute left.
With 47 seconds left, an offensive foul was called on Gillon, completely changing the momentum. The foul ended Syracuse’s hope of winning the game, as Georgetown then went down and scored to go up five, icing the game for the Hoyas.
Despite the loss, forward Tyler Lydon [14] delivered a 29-point performance for the Orange. Lydon went 12-13 from the field in 36 minutes and also added nine rebounds. But, Lydon was disappointed that Syracuse was not able to get the win.
“I just worry about whether we won or lost. So, my career day, or whatever you want to call it, it doesn’t mean much to me,” Lydon said.
Syracuse will return to action [15] against Eastern Michigan on Monday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Carrier Dome.
Notes
No timetable has been set for the return of Syracuse center Paschal Chukwu, [16] who is sidelined following retina surgery. “I don’t want to say exactly, but it’s a long time,” said Boeheim.
