Syracuse comes back to defeat Virginia Tech 68-60 in OT

The Orange faithful were in for a treat; coming off a close win this past Saturday against Georgia Tech, the “loud house” was packed for another ACC battle that came down to the wire. This time, it took overtime to decide the winner. 

In a game where Syracuse shot a mere 38 percent from the field, perhaps it was Tyler Lydon’s 3-pointer at the very end of the first half that shifted momentum Cuse’s way. 

Once again, the leaders stepped up big time. Michael Gbinije (17 Pt, 3 A), who played much of the second half with four personal fouls, made a huge 3-pointer with 34 seconds left to tie up the game 56-56. Guard Trevor Cooney- nicknamed the Ironman for good reason- logged nine points, three assists and three steals while playing every single minute of the game. 

As for “the X-factor”, forward Tyler Roberson recorded another double-double (12 Pt, 15 R). Malachi Richardson also performed well- especially late in the game- hitting a couple shots beyond the arc that lit up the Carrier Dome. He finished with 13 points while dishing out four assists.

Forward Tyler Lydon (13 Pt, 6 R) made all four of his crucial free throws, whereas rest of the team shot just 57 percent from the stripe. Although center DaJuan Coleman only scored three points, he looked better in the paint. He finished with six boards and had massive block leading to a key fast-break basket.

A takeaway from this game was great effort; the team grinded this one out. Syracuse out-rebounded Virginia Tech 44-37. Also, defense is tremendously overlooked nowadays. The Orange made multiple stops down the stretch. Ultimately, “It was a great comeback," head coach Jim Boeheim said after the game.

The Orange play their next game Thursday, Feb. 11 at home against the Florida State Seminoles.