Observations from SU’s win over Boston College: Williams impresses, too many turnovers

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Syracuse returned from a 10-day break reeling from a last-second loss to Pittsburgh. Head coach Jim Boeheim said that once players returned, they were going to rigorously work to improve on an up-and-down start to the season. While it was sloppy and took multiple runs throughout the second half to put away Boston College, Syracuse took care of the Eagles, notching its second conference win.

Benny Williams showed out to the tune of 16 points and 11 rebounds — an explosive presence throughout the game that the Orange were lacking. Joe Girard III took over, leading all scorers with 24 points, including four 3-pointers. Though SU (9-5, 2-1 Atlantic Coast) turned the ball over 14 times, it shut down Boston College’s (7-7, 1-2 ACC) offense just enough to win.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s 79-65 victory over the Eagles.

Joe Girard catalyzes win

Girard loves playing against Boston College. In the last four games, he’s shooting 60% overall against the Eagles. He once again found success against Boston College on Saturday and was the catalyst for rocketing Syracuse out of its early hole and into the lead midway through the first half. He pulled up from everywhere on the court to extend Syracuse’s lead to 29-24 in the first half. The shooting guard finished the first half with 13 points and after a stellar second half, ended the afternoon with 24 points and added four assists.

He looked poised, rarely taking shots without his feet underneath him. On one three, he cut in, faking a drive down the lane while Edwards stood just inside the 3-point line. Then, Girard cut back out and Jesse Edwards slid to his right to set a screen on Girard’s man. With ample space from the top of the key, Judah Mintz dished the ball over to Girard and the shooting guard swished through another 3 in the first half.

With just over five minutes left in the game, Girard cut in, dragging his defender with him, before quickly cutting back out to the 3-point line. He grabbed a pass from the top of the key, pivoted his foot and drained a 3, a sped up sequence that gave Syracuse back its 10 point lead that Boston College erased earlier in the half.

10 days off? Going to be turnovers

Maybe it was a byproduct of no games for 10 days. Maybe it was the result of a more aggressive Boston College team that looked to disrupt passes to the lanes and inside to the foul line. But from the start, Syracuse struggled to keep the ball, coughing up a total of 14 turnovers. The first possession of the game ended prematurely when Mintz tossed a looping pass intended for Williams that was broken up before it touched Williams’ hands. Then on the next possession, Edwards grabbed a pass inside the paint from Mintz, tried to dribble toward the basket, but was pick-pocketed by Boston College — another turnover to end an SU possession.

Syracuse finally used its size and found significant offensive contributions from four of its five starters. But it’s mistakes, the 14 turnovers, ensured Boston College would hang around for the majority of the game, applying pressure to SU at various points throughout the second half. With 14 minutes left in the second half, Girard tried to dish off a pass into Mounir Hima in front of the basket. While he was driving, Girard lobbed an errand pass that Boston College easily grabbed. Syracuse lazily jogged back on defense and the Eagles capitalized with a transition layup.

Two plays later, Williams grabbed a rebound off a missed 3 from Girard, but turned it over when his pass intended for Quadir Copeland went right to a Boston College player. Makai Ashton-Langford drove down the court soon after and finished the sequence with a backdoor layup, cutting the Eagles’ deficit to four points.

Benny Williams does what he’s told

Boeheim has been critical of Williams’ play, upset about the forward’s lack of effort throughout the first 13 games of the season. Inquiries even arose about whether or not Williams would remain in the starting lineup long term, or if Jon Bol Ajak might be better suited for the bulk of the minutes at one of the forward positions. With the negative spotlight shining as bright as it ever has on Williams, the sophomore came out against Boston College and played at a fevered pitch.

After a poor double-pump on a baseline layup, one he missed, Williams came back and lept for an Edwards turnaround shot, grabbing the rebound and smoothly putting in the second-chance attempt. Two possessions later, he pulled up from the foul line extended and knocked in a jumper. To finish off his fiery sequence, one that tracked with a late first-half run for Syracuse, Williams collected a pass from Mintz at the top of the key. He’s only 5-for-15 from deep this season, but was wide open and pulled up to extend The Orange’s lead to 36-27 before halftime.

In transition, just before the under-16 timeout in the second half, Williams sped along the left side of the court in transition. Syracuse had just one other player alongside Williams, but Girard was behind Ashton-Langford, who had the ball on his own. Then Williams lept toward the rim and batted away Ashton-Langford’s expected wide open fast break layup.

Slow start erased by late first-half run

The slow starts are no longer an aberration — they’re enveloping into the identity of the 2022-23 Syracuse Orange. First it was a one-off that happened against Colgate, with Boeheim shoving off concerns by stating that the Raiders were likely the best passing team the Orange were going to face. Then they avoided serious scrutiny because they rattled off five straight wins and moved to 8-4 prior to the start of conference play. But it hurt Syracuse against Pittsburgh and was once again the difference against the Eagles.

In the first half, it took a nearly four-minute scoring drought from Boston College to allow Syracuse back into a lead that extended to seven points. But then a Ashton-Langford 3 capped off a 7-0 run for the Eagles that tied the game and forced Boeheim to call a timeout. From there, the Orange bursted out to a 12-3 run that it would use to break open a firm lead going into halftime that it wouldn’t relinquish. The Orange continued to break up passing lanes and force Boston College, one of the worst shooting teams in the ACC, to pull up from deep and midrange. At the end of the first half, the Eagles were shooting just 40% from the field and only connected on 2-of-7 shots from deep.

Edwards leaves, Boston College comes back

Ron Sisler once said the quote that has since been repeated by nearly every basketball coach in the country: “Basketball is a game of runs.” External factors bring about those runs that dictate the course of a given basketball game, but in the end, the 40 minutes of college basketball can simply be described by the runs each team goes on. To end the first half, it was Syracuse, as it smothered Boston College’s offense and frequently stopped passes in the zone’s lanes. But a four-minute stretch in the second half, a 12-0 run from the Eagles, erased the 10-point SU lead.

Sloppy play, including three turnovers, allowed the Eagles to once again find their footing. Finally, a 3-pointer from Devin McGlockton silenced the crowd at the JMA Wireless Dome. The Eagles, for the first time in nearly 10 minutes, led by a point. It lasted just a few seconds, as Williams immediately came back and nailed a 3 of his own. But BC was in the midst of exploiting a Syracuse lineup that lacked Edwards. Hima did what he could underneath the basket, but picked up his fourth foul with 7:19 left in the half.

The lack of Edwards — the external factor that led to Boston College’s run — persisted throughout the second half. The center was in early foul trouble and Boeheim wanted to save him for the final five minutes of the game.