Syracuse’s play that drew the most awe from the Carrier Dome crowd started 94 feet from the opponent’s basket, when Marek Dolezaj saved the ball from falling out of bounds, bouncing it to Joe Girard III. 

As Girard dribbled through a line of Yellow Jackets defenders, Dolezaj streaked up the court. With two hands, Girard whipped a bounce pass between several Georgia Tech players. Dolezaj dodged a final opponent on his way to the hoop and layed the ball in. 

“I really don’t know how it got to my hands,” Dolezaj said. “I don’t know how I scored.” 

After a dismal first half in which Syracuse was dominated down low, improved defense led to transition buckets in a 79-72 Orange win. At halftime, the Orange had more personal fouls (10) than made field goals (seven). For one stretch, Syracuse struggled to the point that head coach Jim Boeheim pulled all his starters from the game except the conference’s leading scorer Elijah Hughes.

In the second half, Syracuse shot 64% from the field, including 21 points in transition. Dolezaj evaded early foul trouble to remain in the game and tied for a team-high 20 points as Syracuse avoided what was nearly its most disastrous loss of the season. 

“This was one of the best second halves we’ve ever played anywhere,” Boeheim said. 

In the first meeting between these two teams, Syracuse was down-sliding. The Orange had lost three consecutive games and had shown no signs of life in more than two weeks. That all changed in Atlanta. Syracuse thrashed Georgia Tech by 34 points as Hughes poured in 33 points and Buddy Boeheim had 26. On that day, Georgia Tech’s match-up zone wasn’t a problem. 

Though SU entered Saturday on a similar three-game losing streak, it wasn’t as easy for the Orange. Hughes didn’t rip off more than 20 points in the first half alone and perhaps more importantly, the Yellow Jackets offense didn’t look dreadful. After scoring less than 70 points in the first matchup, GT led by 11 at halftime. 

About 30 minutes before tip-off, the Yellow Jackets big men caught feeds on the low block and banged into a coach beneath the hoop. Sometimes, the coach moved out of their way, other times he fouled them. Nearly every repetition ended in a monstrous dunk coincided by a powerful grunt. 

Max Freund | Staff Photographer

Once the game started, it was much the same. GT fed players on the low block for layups, dunks and free throw opportunities. Some plays, the ones that caused Syracuse’s coaches heads to shake, ended in alley-oop slams and more grunts from the Yellow Jackets in an otherwise quiet Carrier Dome. 

Syracuse’s offense had no rhythm on the other end. The Orange missed several contested layups while also ending possessions with turnovers when sending the ball into the paint. SU turned the ball over nine times and shot 26.9% from the field in the first half. 

“The first half we were playing worried … just making uncharacteristic plays,” Buddy said. “Getting out in transition we were kind of not being aggressive.”

Georgia Tech Forward Moses Wright finished with 33 points and 10 rebounds, including a make on a turnaround jumper when his lane to the basket was clogged. In the second half, Syracuse clamped down on Wright, swarming him on catches in the paint.  

On one possession during Syracuse’s 7-0 run to start the second half, the Yellow Jackets tried their normal insert to Wright. But when Bourama Sidibe blocked Wright’s lane to the basket, Dolezaj covered Wright’s other hip. With nowhere to move, a prayer of a pass flew down the other end of the court for a turnover. 

“When you come out in the second half, usually the first few minutes before media timeouts are crucial and we kind of knew that,” Girard said. “We had the sense of urgency.”

Girard hit the first basket of the second half on Syracuse’s first possession. The freshman point guard pleaded for the ball in the corner and drained a 3-pointer once he had it. It was indicative of Syracuse’s second half — after allowing Georgia Tech to dominate the opening 20 minutes, the Orange dictated play.

Syracuse snagged 17 rebounds and forced eight turnovers in the final 20 minutes, many led to Girard popping out into transition looking for someone to score. That’s how he found Dolezaj on the highlight-reel worthy bounce pass. Buddy reached Sidibe beneath the basket on a fast break opportunity as well. After shooting 7-of-26 in the first half, Syracuse created space by running the floor. 

“When you get stops usually it’s better,” Girard said. “You have to get stops first in order to get out and run.”

The difference in Syracuse’s second half came in the paint. That’s where the Orange created the few stops it desperately needed. There, near the basket, is where Syracuse finished easy buckets in transition. And there, down in the area where Syracuse players have fouled out so many times this year, only one player did and it wasn’t until two minutes remained in the game. 

After Hughes missed a 3-pointer, Sidibe fought for a rebound. With Syracuse clinging to a one-point lead and just more than six minutes on the game clock, it was the kind of the play the Orange needed points out of. This time they came from Sidibe. 

He beat GT’s big man James Banks III for a rebound and hit a layup, through a foul. Sidibe didn’t hit the free throw, but for the first time in a long time, an opposing big man fouled out before him. 

The game shifted after that. After Banks left the game and the matchups changed, Dolezaj scored 12 points and Syracuse never rescinded its lead. 

As Banks walked to the bench, the crowd chanted: “Nah, Nah, Nah, Hey, hey goodbye.”

Published on February 22, 2020 at 6:25 pm

Contact Josh: jlschafe@syr.edu | @Schafer_44