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After going 1-2 in the Bahamas, Syracuse (4-3) rebounded with a 112-110 double-overtime win over Indiana (6-1). The Orange defense stifled the Hoosiers in the first half, with eight steals and three blocks. But after halftime adjustments, IU came back in the second half to tie the game and send it into overtime with three late free throws.

Even after one overtime, the two teams were still tied. In double overtime, the game came down to two free throws with 0.8 seconds left from Joe Girard III to win the game.

Here are three observations from Syracuse’s double-overtime win over Indiana tonight:

Syracuse stifles Indiana in the 1st half

After allowing 43 first-half points to No. 19 Auburn last game, the Orange found success stifling the Indiana offense in the first half. The game began with a 7-0 run by Syracuse fueled by multiple defensive stops.

First, Jesse Edwards stepped out of the paint to gather an errant Hoosier pass for the steal leading Jimmy Boeheim to score the Orange’s first points of the game. On the next IU possession, Trayce Jackson-Davis rose up for a layup, but Edwards was there to swat it away.

Then, Buddy Boeheim stepped in front of a pass on the right wing to grab another steal. Buddy quickly raced down the court for a layup, which did not go in but counted on a goaltending call against IU.

The Orange ended the half on a 12-4 run highlighted by a Cole Swider stop. Indiana tried to pass cross-court to an open shooter on Swider’s side of the zone, but he jumped into tip the ball away. Swider quickly passed to Buddy, who returned the pass to Swider in stride for an emphatic dunk.

Syracuse finished the first half 16 points off of turnovers.

Cole Swider struggles early, rebounds late

Early in the first half Swider struggled to impact the Syracuse offense the way head coach Jim Boeheim wanted him to. The forward picked up four fouls in 17 minutes and couldn’t stay on the court for extended periods of time.

With Swider in foul trouble, Boeheim turned to freshman Benny Williams. The freshman has also had his growing pains this season after being held scoreless three times this season, but he made an instant impact on defense. He blocked an Indiana layup attempt and used his length to grab an out-of-control dribble, corralling it for the steal.

However, Williams didn’t make the most of his minutes on the offensive end. After driving into the paint and rising for a jumper, Williams was fouled on the miss. He missed both free throws as his shots from the charity stripe bounced off the right side of the rim.

Near the end of regulation, Williams subbed in to provide rebounding help, but it was his foul that sent Jackson-Davis to the line to sink two free throws and send the game into overtime.

Swider started off the Orange’s scoring in overtime with a deep 3 from the left wing, taking him to double-digit points on the night. Even with the fouls, Boeheim entrusted Swider with the entirety of the first overtime period, despite his foul trouble.

Syracuse surges late in 2nd half, overtime

Syracuse scored 49 first-half points, making half of its 16 3-pointers and shooting almost 60% from the floor overall, taking a 16-point lead into the second half. With the offense humming, the Orange led for all but 29 seconds of the first half.

Indiana came out of halftime hot on a 12-3 run that Syracuse could not keep up with. Indiana continued to cut into the Orange’s lead while Syracuse’s frontcourt players couldn’t corral offensive rebounds for second-chance points. At one point in the second half, Syracuse seemed to lose its momentum, going 1-for-6 from beyond the arc.

But, following a timeout, Girard hit a long pull-up 3 to give Syracuse a two-possession lead. IU replied with a 3 of its own and Girard attempted another 3, but his shot bounced high up the rim. Jimmy rose with his defender to grab the rebound and hopped up again for a contested layup, hitting the and one free throw right after too.

Minutes later, Girard grabbed a steal at halfcourt and found an open Jimmy on the wing. Jimmy pump-faked and then blew past his defender for an open layup. Despite Syracuse’s best efforts to end the game, Indiana did just enough to keep pace and send the game to overtime.

After two overtimes, Girard toed the free-throw line. With 0.8 seconds left on the clock, Syracuse’s fate was decided by two free throws.

Published on November 30, 2021 at 10:12 pm

Contact Gaurav: gshetty@syr.edu