NEWARK, N.J. — The game slowed with each possession. Each whistle stopping play to send another player to the free-throw line.

Syracuse and Seton Hall were both in the bonus with more than 10 minutes to play. Already ahead, the Orange appeared to take firm control throughout that period, but the Pirates came back with a flurry of buckets each time.

With SHU lurking, free throws became crucial down the stretch. Syracuse coolly sank its attempts at crucial points while the Pirates fizzled.

That battle ended in a 76-65 Syracuse (21-4, 9-3 Big East) win over Seton Hall (13-13, 2-11) at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Saturday night. Syracuse never trailed in the second half and received a standout 29-point performance from senior guard Brandon Triche. But it was Syracuse’s 11 straight points at the free-throw line in the second half that sealed its victory.

The Orange shot 20-for-29 from the line in the game, highlighted by an 11-for-12 performance during the key run.

Syracuse got off to a slow start against Seton Hall, missing a combined eight shots on three of its first four possessions. The Pirates, meanwhile, came out on fire, hitting three 3-point attempts in their first six possessions before breaking the zone underneath to take an early nine-point lead.

SHU was shooting 70 percent from the field at that point, but the Pirates went cold for the remainder of the half. Syracuse’s zone buckled down, holding Seton Hall without a field goal for the next seven-plus minutes and turning the nine-point deficit into a four-point lead.

Triche scored five points and had two assists during the run. Triche came out aggressive from the start, getting into the lane for a pull-up to open the game and staying on the attack for drives throughout the half.

The senior guard used that formula the entire game, penetrating through the SHU defense. Triche exploded out of the break with seven of Syracuse’s first 10 points to keep his team ahead by seven.

Syracuse went up by as many as 14 points throughout the second half, but Seton Hall always answered, cutting the lead down to six four different times.

But the Orange kept the Pirates an arm’s length away with some clutch free-throw shooting.

Michael Carter-Williams went to the line on three straight possessions, hitting all six attempts to put the Orange head by 12. A 3 and layup by Fuquan Edwin cut the deficit to seven before a pair of Eugene Teague free throws made it 60-54.

But Syracuse closed the game out with a strong effort at the stripe. Triche knocked in two, followed by two more from Christmas to expand the Orange’s lead to 10 with just more than five minutes to play.

A runner and pull-up 3 by Triche gave SU an insurmountable 13-point lead with less than three minutes to play, sending the Pirates fans to the exits.

Published on February 16, 2013 at 10:12 pm

Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu