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When asked about why Syracuse lost its second game by four points in eight days, Jim Boeheim had a simple answer. He said “alright, we’re done,” chuckled, then walked away.

The answer, or lack thereof, had some merit to it. Syracuse played one of its most complete games of the year. There was no failed comeback and the Orange crawled out of a 10-point deficit in eight minutes to take a one-point lead with four minutes left. The game just slipped away, following a few questionable foul calls and some unlucky turnovers against a quality North Carolina squad.

Reaching the NCAA Tournament is basically out of the question, but the Orange’s late rally against the Tar Heels showed a different side to a team that couldn’t come out on top in close matchups versus Bryant and St. John’s at the end of November. It displayed the latest version of a Syracuse team that could be 9-1 in conference play if a couple more shots fell for Judah Mintz in crunch time.

The turn in close games came in South Bend, Indiana in Syracuse’s first Atlantic Coast Conference matchup of the season. The game before facing Notre Dame, SU shot a season-low 27.8% from the field in a 29-point loss to Illinois during the last-ever Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Like the previous three games, the Orange fell behind early. Then, halfway through the opening half, Joe Girard III spun and nailed an off-balance elbow jumper with the shot clock winding down, giving the Orange a 54-52 lead.

The Orange matched the Fighting Irish’s intensity through the rest of the night, showcasing the one-two punch of Jesse Edwards and Girard at their best (the duo combined for 42 points). Then, with 20 seconds left, Mintz, who had scored seven points up to that point, used a screen and an open lane to drop in a go-ahead, right-handed layup to grant Syracuse a one-point lead.

“He wants to take that shot,” Boeheim said.

Mintz’s confidence carried over into the Orange’s next conference matchup against Pittsburgh, where he finished with 24 points. SU trailed by as many as 20 throughout the night, but a surge in the final three minutes brought the game within four, with a minute left to go. Quadir Copeland followed up a 3-pointer from Girard with one of his own.

Then, Mintz, double-teamed, opted not to drive into the lane. Pulling up from three, he tried his luck from deep and missed, but the possession was an indication that Syracuse still had a chance at a come-from-behind win.

In the following matchup against Boston College, when SU trailed 51-49 with 11 minutes left, Justin Taylor stepped up when it mattered, knocking down two 3-pointers in less than two minutes. The harder test was a week later against a struggling Louisville team that kept it close toward the end of the game. Girard willed the Orange over the Cardinals, taking numerous trips to the line before a made 3-pointer gave the Orange a 66-64 lead with roughly 90 seconds left.

“I’m just very thankful that Joe Girard didn’t want to lose the game,” Boeheim said.

The contests against Boston College and Louisville revealed that Syracuse could eventually get the job done in the second half behind strong offensive performances from its backcourt and wings.

Chris Bell had his key night in SU’s second matchup against Notre Dame, hitting a deep 3-pointer late to erase a 12-point deficit. The full-court press played a role against the Fighting Irish and later helped the Orange speed up Georgia Tech’s offense into bad shots in an 80-63 win.

Against Miami, another down-to-wire matchup which SU was on the wrong side of, the Orange surprised the nationally-ranked Hurricanes, leading for approximately 22 minutes before Miami’s dominance on the offensive glass forced the Orange to go back to their touted freshmen. But, Mintz had struggled the entire night and committed two late turnovers.

“He just had a bad game, and that’s what happens with freshmen,” Boeheim said postgame.

The Orange brought the same intensity into Tuesday night against North Carolina, coming back from a double-digit deficit in the second half. Again, it was the freshmen who made a difference. Mintz continued to pick apart North Carolina’s defense in transition, opting for quick jumpers and layups to keep SU in it. Bell drilled two 3-pointers as well.

Girard wasn’t completely locked down by UNC’s defense. Receiving the ball from Mintz with 90 seconds left, he curled around a screen and nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key after a pump-fake sent his immediate defender flying by him. North Carolina answered back and Mintz wasted no time getting past the Tar Heels full-court press, sprinting down the middle of the lane.

Mintz tried to bring the ball back to his left side but the movement slammed RJ Davis to the ground. The comeback was almost complete until a flailing elbow got in the way.

“To be honest, they deserved to win the game,” Armando Bacot said postgame.

The game was won when…

Mintz’s flagrant foul sealed a two-point advantage for the Tar Heels before he forced Caleb Love to the free throw line. UNC had one of its worst nights from the charity stripe, as Love missed on the front end of the flagrant call before hitting the next two. The Orange hurried up on offense, but Girard missed from the left wing, granting North Carolina the win.

Quote of the night: Jim Boeheim

“Turnovers and two charges, in a close game we can’t have that. That was it.”

Syracuse’s comeback made it a battle between both teams to see who would make a mistake first. Girard throwing the ball right into the hands of Pete Nance after Nance missed from the free throw line was the most untimely mistake.

Game ball: Chris Bell

Bell said after the Notre Dame game, when he posted a career-high 17 points, that he always had confidence in his shot and that was on display again against the Tar Heels. He finished with 15 points, with two of his 3-pointers coming at a crucial time in the second half.

More importantly, the freshman had four rebounds, one less than a season-high he set earlier in the year against Cornell. Bell said he has been working with assistant coach Adrian Autry on rebounding and box out drills in practice.

Three final points:

Edwards vs. Bacot

Last year, Bacot became the seventh player to record a double-double against Syracuse, with 17 points and 18 rebounds in UNC’s 88-79 win. This year though, he couldn’t reach that mark.

Edwards had some success against Bacot in the post as well. Boeheim said postgame that Edwards can struggle against stronger players, but the SU center was able to maintain his footing and get deep into the paint at times against Bacot. At the start of the second half, Edwards pivoted back and forth against Bacot at the right block, eventually elevating for an easy layup.

Bacot still got the most out of his play offensively, abusing the spot near the top of the paint where Syracuse leaves most opposing bigs open. Edwards usually let Bacot get the ball if he wasn’t too close to the basket, and Bacot had enough space to cash in on a few mid-range looks.

Free throw discrepancy

The Orange only attempted three free throws throughout the game while the Tar Heels notched 23. North Carolina’s mark was above its average of 18.23 on the season, which is No. 1 in the ACC.

Syracuse’s three attempted free throws were the lowest since it went 3-for-4 from the line in its first win over the Fighting Irish. The Orange haven’t had fewer attempts from the charity stripe at any point in the last decade.

Next up: Virginia Tech

The Orange head to Blacksburg, Virginia, for their second matchup this season against the Hokies. Virginia Tech was in a terrible slump to start conference play, losing seven straight games before it defeated Duke in its last contest. The Hokies have also brought back sharpshooter Hunter Cattoor, from injury, who’s shooting a team-high 41.1% from beyond the arc this season.

Published on January 25, 2023 at 9:20 pm

Contact Anish: asvasude@syr.edu | @anish_vasu