NEW YORK — Syracuse took the latest hit in its nonconference tailspin Monday night. Against a Connecticut (4-4) team with eight healthy rotation players, SU (5-3) blew an 11-point lead in the second half to endure its third loss in the last four games.

Here’s what we learned from Tuesday night in Madison Square Garden.

Without Andrew White, Syracuse’s 3-point shooting is questionable

It’s clear that White has meant a great deal to the Orange, even in only eight games with his third school in five years. He’s the team’s leading scorer by nearly seven points a game. But the significance of White’s presence and contributions were never more apparent than when they disappeared.

The 6-foot-7 guard entered Monday night averaging 11 points per game in the first half, commonly serving as the team’s only sparkplug in stretches. But in the first 20 minutes against UConn, White made only one field goal and was silent behind the arc. That left Syracuse to turn elsewhere for perimeter production, and it found no answers.

It’s difficult trying to replicate the 3-point abilities of White, who was the Atlantic Coast Conference’s leading 3-point shooter before the game, but only Tyus Battle connected from deep in the first half. Twelve other 3s went awry, producing a 7.7 percent clip from deep that the Orange hasn’t come close to all season.

“I didn’t do well enough to make our team win,” White said. “We had a lot of guys who struggled tonight, but it’s kind of on my shoulders.”

John Gillon went 0-for-3 from deep in the first half, and Frank Howard and Tyler Lydon missed on their attempts as well. According to Kenpom.com, more than one-third of SU’s points have come off 3s. Without White, that number falls off significantly. That much was clear against UConn on Monday.

---

MORE COVERAGE:

• Syracuse crumbles in second half against UConn on Monday night
• Tyler Lydon’s offensive struggles persist in two-point loss
• Dajuan Coleman provides steady hand against Huskies

---

Syracuse can’t have both John Gillon and Frank Howard go silent 

The beauty of roster depth is options. Without Howard, SU head coach Jim Boeheim can tab Gillon to run the offense. Without Gillon, Howard can take the reins. When neither do much leading the way, as illustrated against the Huskies, the Orange is left without a direction on offense.

After struggling to move the ball against UConn’s zone, Howard tried navigating the defense on his own. He was turned away each time he went to the basket, finishing the game 0-for-9 with just three assists in 27 minutes. Gillon didn’t fair much better — he hasn’t made a basket in two games, since Syracuse played Wisconsin last week.

“Not that we weren’t motivated before,” Howard said, “but just even more now. It’s urgent … we just have to go in and turn things around.”

In the eyes of Boeheim, inexperience isn’t cutting it anymore

Not that the 41-year head coach would ever peg inexperience as his team’s greatest downfall, but he tried putting a storyline to rest after Monday’s game, a storyline that’s blanketed his team since it reeled in four new rotation players.

Boeheim was asked after SU’s loss whether inexperience, more than anything else, is the reason for the offensive gridlock against UConn. Even outside of Monday in Madison Square Garden, Syracuse has sputtered with its shooting in losses to Wisconsin and South Carolina.

“I would like to say that,” Boeheim said, referring to his team’s inexperience producing these results, “but we can’t score. I don’t know if that has anything to do with who’s here and who’s not.”

Published on December 6, 2016 at 12:55 am

Contact Connor: cgrossma@syr.edu | @connorgrossman