Tyus Battle leaned back while launching a 3-pointer with a hand in his face. His feet landed off balance. He backpedaled toward the Syracuse bench. His form was the most unconventional it had been all game.

None of that mattered. The ball fell through the rim like it had 10 previous times on Saturday afternoon. Battle held his cupped right hand in the air as a grin spread across his face. Then he turned toward the Orange bench, where assistants and backups jumped out of their seats as SU possessed a 28-point lead.

“I don’t know, I just shot that thing,” Battle said, “and luckily it went in.”

But nothing, at least other than that shot, was lucky for Battle in Syracuse’s 76-53 win over Boston College (9-9, 2-3 Atlantic Coast) in the Carrier Dome. His 7-of-13 shooting performance and career-high 21 points powered the Orange (11-7, 3-2) to its third consecutive home win, as he succeeded both shooting from deep and attacking inside.

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MORE COVERAGE:

• Graphical breakdown of Syracuse’s victory against Boston College
• Superlatives from SU’s blowout win over BC
• Gallery: The best sights from Syracuse’s win

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Through the first 15 games of the season, Battle averaged 8.4 points and had scored in double figures three times. In the past three games, he’s discovered a role in Syracuse’s offense, including 15 points against Pittsburgh and 13 at Virginia Tech leading up to another breakout against the Eagles.

“I thought he was really, really terrific tonight,” SU head coach Jim Boeheim said. “He really played well. His best game.”

Entering Saturday, Battle was shooting a team-high 44.4 percent from behind the 3-point line. As defenses have begun to close out to defend the shot, he’s had opportunities to attack the rim. And against BC, Battle thrived doing both.

His first points came on an and-1 about five minutes into the game. Off a John Gillon steal, Battle laid the ball in while getting fouled before a media timeout. After the timeout, he sunk the free throw and his offensive masterpiece was underway.

“He played great. He wasn’t forcing anything,” said sophomore forward Tyler Lydon, who finished with 16 points and two blocks. “He made all the right plays. When you knock down shots, that’s huge for us.”

After holding a 13-point halftime lead, the Orange expanded it immediately with three straight baskets that eventually led to a Boston College timeout.

The run began with Battle slicing through the BC defense and finishing at the rim with a lefty layup. Boeheim said he was more patient, which allowed more opportunities to drive to the hoop. When SU is patient, Boeheim said, the defense is forced to move and holes are opened up rather than getting bailed out by a shot early in the possession.

“It was his night,” Lydon said.

Ally Moreo | Photo Editor

Even with over 10 minutes remaining, Battle helped the Orange push the game out of reach. He converted a 3-pointer form the right wing, held his follow through and slapped his chest as he jogged back on defense. SU led by 17, with Battle at the forefront of Syracuse’s bounce back win after a road loss to Virginia Tech on Tuesday.

Battle’s outburst has been part of an evolution in his freshman campaign. After a 13-minute showing against South Carolina on Nov. 26, Boeheim said Battle “looked a little lost.” After his 12-minute showing against Georgetown on Dec. 17, Boeheim said he wanted to avoid playing Battle due to a nagging foot injury.

But as conference play has heated up, so has he.

Battle said he made shots that he knows he can make and missed some of them, too. His performance against BC has been a season in the making. His scoring ability continues to snowball — and he still has room to grow.

“I don’t think I was necessarily hot,” Battle said, “I was just trying to find my shot a little bit more and good things happened.”

Published on January 14, 2017 at 7:52 pm

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds