Observations from Syracuse’s narrow win: Turnovers, little from Edwards
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Syracuse returned from an 11-day layoff with an impressive showing against Boston College on Saturday, taking a nine-point lead into halftime and picking up a 79-65 win over the Eagles. It gave the Orange their sixth win in seven games as they traveled to Louisville, Kentucky to face a 2-12 Cardinals team that has struggled under first-year head coach Kenny Payne this season.
The Cardinals stayed competitive throughout, but couldn’t finish late. The two teams combined for 36 turnovers and were up-and-down from 3-point range. El Ellis (20 points) and Mike James (19 points on 4-of-6 from 3-point range) led the way for Louisville, while Joe Girard III (28 points) did so for Syracuse and Jesse Edwards was held to just 12 points. UL missed with 20 seconds left and two Girard free throws gave Syracuse a 70-67 lead. Ellis made two free throws, but he and Judah Mintz both turned the ball over in the final seconds, allowing SU to prevail.
Here are some observations from Syracuse’s one-point win against Louisville:
Turnovers galore
While Louisville is one of the nation’s teams most prone to turning the ball over — ranking 354th nationally with turnovers on nearly 24% of its possessions — Syracuse has been a top-50 team at protecting the ball this season, per KenPom. That’s why it wasn’t surprising to see the Cardinals record 21 turnovers, but atypical to see the Orange have 15 (their second-highest in a game this season).
UL used pressure on Mintz off made baskets and free throws to set up a few SU turnovers, but several times, the Orange just threw the ball out of bounds. Girard drove on one play, and looking to kick toward the left wing, threw it too high for Chris Bell, who couldn’t handle the pass before it fell out of bounds.
Moments later, Ellis was able to pick Mintz’s pocket and convert the ensuing layup. It was part of a 13-0 Louisville run that gave it a nine-point lead and forced a Jim Boeheim timeout early in the first half. Two SU turnovers in the final seconds of the first half set up an Ellis layup and a Brandon Huntley-Hatfield buzzer-beating jumper, giving UL a 35-34 lead.
Midway through the first half, James had it on the baseline, but passed to a perfectly rotating Justin Taylor in the middle of the paint. Taylor pushed the ball up court and fed Mintz, who finished an acrobatic layup. It was emblematic of Louisville’s careless turnovers throughout the game, which helped the Orange retake the lead in the first half and get quality looks in the second.
Both teams go hot-and-cold from 3-point range
Boeheim has said earlier in the season that Syracuse doesn’t need to shoot and make 3s to win games. Both SU and Louisville entered the night shooting under 34% from beyond the arc, yet both still shot over 40% on Tuesday night. The Orange used screens to free up shooters like Girard and Bell, while the Cardinals used constant ball movement to hit shots from the wings.
In the first half, Mounir Hima set a firm screen for Girard, who got a wide-open 3 from the right wing as a result. Later, Mintz drove and found Taylor for an open 3 that the freshman converted. SU shot 4-of-6 from deep in the first half, but 3-for-10 in the second.
Louisville, meanwhile, used the 3s (and turnovers) to stay in a game they were predicted to lose by double digits. James was the key, making 3-of-4 in the first half, and knocking down a crucial one from the corner with less than two minutes in the game. The redshirt freshman had only two double-digit points in two other games this season and was only a 31% shooter from beyond the arc entering the night.
That changed for both sides in the second half, though, with the two teams combining to make only eight 3s, each shooting roughly 30%. Girard and Benny Williams both missed open 3s late in the second half that could’ve put the Orange in front, while the Cardinals couldn’t find another shooter with James held to two second-half attempts from deep.
Louisville gets important contributions from 7 players
The Cardinals entered the game with just one player — senior guard Ellis — averaging double-digit points and the team hadn’t registered more than 65 points in four straight contests. That’s why the fact that UL got at least ten points from three players was so important to it staying in the game. Five players also had at least four rebounds, too.
The 10 points and seven rebounds from Jae’Lyn Withers (who only averages 7.6 points on the season) were also important for the Cardinals. Kamari Lands, who entered with a 5.9 per game scoring average, notched seven, in addition to three rebounds.
Louisville’s strong passing against the zone led to open shots, like on a play midway through the second half when Ellis drew a double team in the corner, but fed a perfect pass to James leading to a layup around Williams.
Edwards kept in check offensively, again
Edwards has been among the Atlantic Coast Conference’s most dominant centers this season, averaging 11 rebounds and leading the league with three blocks per game. But just like against Pitt, when Edwards had only eight points in 33 minutes, the center struggled to get going against Louisville. He still had 12 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in 32 minutes, but he wasn’t the inside force Syracuse needed to pull away from the Cardinals.
After notching 20 points against Georgetown on Dec. 10, Edwards hasn’t been able to post more than 12 over his last five games.
Boeheim turned to backup Hima for eight first-half minutes after Edwards picked up fouls. Edwards had missed two dunks early in the half, including one on the game’s very first play. Syracuse rarely gave Edwards the ball on post-ups, forcing the center to earn baskets only on transition or second-chance opportunities. On one play early in the second half, he gathered the ball at the high post and nearly turned it over before missing a one-handed shot off the glass that never had a chance at going in.
