After a disappointing shooting performance, Syracuse is left having to reconsider its shot selection. Too many times against Georgetown on Saturday, the Orange took shots that were too far from the basket. They clanked off the rim and often into the hands of the Hoyas.

The misses dug a hole that grew increasingly large as the game progressed, sending No. 8 Syracuse to a 57-46 loss to No. 11 Georgetown on Saturday. The Orange shot 17-of-50 (34 percent) from the field, and a dreadful 4-of-20 from the arc. All of it led to another loss for Syracuse pockmarked by ill-advised shots.

Guard Brandon Triche said the Orange “saw blood.” The 35,012 fans in attendance gave Syracuse energy, and the Orange showed it by chucking up shot after shot that rarely fell through the basket.

“We couldn’t put the ball in the basket,” said Triche, who shot just 1-of-7 from the arc. “We obviously missed some open 3s but we shot some quick 3s.”

Only James Southerland managed to have some success from the arc, knocking down three of his nine 3-point attempts.

In a stretch that spanned 27 seconds in the first half, the Orange missed three 3-pointers. It was a part of a five-minute stretch where the Orange went without a field goal. During that time, the score went from 12-4 Syracuse to 13-12 before C.J. Fair hit a short jumper that made it 15-12.

Fair shot up 5-of-10 from the field and finished with 13 points. He missed his only 3.

“They played the zone well,” Fair said. “They didn’t let us get second-chance points.”

Syracuse grabbed only 13 offensive rebounds and scored only five second-chance points. Georgetown finished up with 23 rebounds on the defensive glass. But the Orange’s ample missed shots cost it much more than its lack of aggressiveness on the offensive glass. 

Georgetown started out the game in a man-to-man defense, but switched to a zone quickly. There was no reason for the Hoyas to switch back given the way the Orange was shooting.

“I think all our shots were not for ourselves but to help the team win,” Triche said. “They didn’t help the team and we just have to reconsider those shots and make sure we get some more high-percentage shots.”

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said after the game that Syracuse’s shots weren’t necessarily too quick. While the Orange didn’t work the shot clock too often, Boeheim said SU’s shots were simply too far from the basket.

“I think they were too far,” Boeheim said. “I don’t think they were too soon.”

With about five minutes left, Georgetown held a 45-37 lead. From that point on, Syracuse made only two field goals.

It was the Orange’s worst shooting performance since its Jan. 26 loss at Villanova. Saturday’s loss to Georgetown was more proof of the common theme that runs through all of Syracuse’s losses.

“The games that we’ve lost, we struggled shooting the basketball,” Boeheim said. “Today is no exception.”

Published on February 23, 2013 at 9:46 pm

Contact Chris: cjiseman@syr.edu | @chris_iseman