What a tough loss to stomach for the Orange.This afternoon, the Villanova Wildcats beat Syracuse for the second time this season, with a score of 89-86. With six players scoring in double digits, and a lights-out performance from Dwayne Anderson, the Cats were able to hold off an Orange team that has been slowly slipping out of the ranks for a good few weeks now.
Syracuse got solid performances from their guards, however. Eric Devendorf finished with a team-high 22 points, and following him in scoring was Paul Harris with 21, and Andy Rautins with 18. To say the least, the Orange got nothing out of their big men Onuaku and Jackson, who scored only 4 and 2 points respectively. On top of that, point guard Johnny Flynn had a tough game after suffering from illness this past week.
This loss is going to be a tough one to swallow for the Orange faithful. Although trailing and playing catch-up most of the game, Syracuse was able to take over the lead mid-way through the second half (only to go back down by double digits three minutes later). Perhaps the "nail in the coffin" was two consecutive Villanova turnovers that resulted in zero points for the 'Cuse. Andy Rautins, who was hot from downtown the entire game, was unsuccessful in back-to-back three point attempts during that time.
In the final minutes of the game, 'Nova opened the door just enough to let Syracuse make things interesting, and the Orange pulled within two points at 88-86. A quick foul and one Villanova converted free throw later, Eric Devendorf had the ball in his hands; a chance to tie the game with a three-pointer. He throws up a prayer, and misses. Paul Harris gets the ball at the top of the key after a rebound, and misses. With only a few seconds left, Johnny Flynn gets one last shot at the buzzer down in the corner...and misses.
Villanova wins 89-86. A heart-breaking defeat for Syracuse and another big win for Villanova, who are playing like a top-10 team week in and week out. The Orange, who will no longer be ranked come Monday, have completed (without much success) a very tough Big East run the last month. Their competition in that period included Louisville, UConn, Villanova, and Georgetown, to name a few. The upcoming three games for the 'Cuse are must wins. They play St. Johns, Cincinnati, and Rutgers over the next two weeks before going to Marquette to end the regular season. If things go as planned, the Orange will finish with at least 22 wins and an above .500 conference record going into the Big East Tournament.
In order to get back to winning ways, it seems to me like Syracuse needs to do a better job of getting Onuaku and Jackson involved on offense. They also need to stop relying on shooting mostly from the outside. Without a hot day of shooting 3's from Rautins, today's loss could have been much, much uglier. Another weakness is the Orange's continued rebounding struggles, which showed again this afternoon. While the Orange are still a tournament bound team at this point, they need to win the games they're supposed to win and right this ship immediately.
I know I speak for all Syracuse fans when I say we CAN'T handle another NCAA tournament snub.
Syracuse got solid performances from their guards, however. Eric Devendorf finished with a team-high 22 points, and following him in scoring was Paul Harris with 21, and Andy Rautins with 18. To say the least, the Orange got nothing out of their big men Onuaku and Jackson, who scored only 4 and 2 points respectively. On top of that, point guard Johnny Flynn had a tough game after suffering from illness this past week.
This loss is going to be a tough one to swallow for the Orange faithful. Although trailing and playing catch-up most of the game, Syracuse was able to take over the lead mid-way through the second half (only to go back down by double digits three minutes later). Perhaps the "nail in the coffin" was two consecutive Villanova turnovers that resulted in zero points for the 'Cuse. Andy Rautins, who was hot from downtown the entire game, was unsuccessful in back-to-back three point attempts during that time.
In the final minutes of the game, 'Nova opened the door just enough to let Syracuse make things interesting, and the Orange pulled within two points at 88-86. A quick foul and one Villanova converted free throw later, Eric Devendorf had the ball in his hands; a chance to tie the game with a three-pointer. He throws up a prayer, and misses. Paul Harris gets the ball at the top of the key after a rebound, and misses. With only a few seconds left, Johnny Flynn gets one last shot at the buzzer down in the corner...and misses.
Villanova wins 89-86. A heart-breaking defeat for Syracuse and another big win for Villanova, who are playing like a top-10 team week in and week out. The Orange, who will no longer be ranked come Monday, have completed (without much success) a very tough Big East run the last month. Their competition in that period included Louisville, UConn, Villanova, and Georgetown, to name a few. The upcoming three games for the 'Cuse are must wins. They play St. Johns, Cincinnati, and Rutgers over the next two weeks before going to Marquette to end the regular season. If things go as planned, the Orange will finish with at least 22 wins and an above .500 conference record going into the Big East Tournament.
In order to get back to winning ways, it seems to me like Syracuse needs to do a better job of getting Onuaku and Jackson involved on offense. They also need to stop relying on shooting mostly from the outside. Without a hot day of shooting 3's from Rautins, today's loss could have been much, much uglier. Another weakness is the Orange's continued rebounding struggles, which showed again this afternoon. While the Orange are still a tournament bound team at this point, they need to win the games they're supposed to win and right this ship immediately.
I know I speak for all Syracuse fans when I say we CAN'T handle another NCAA tournament snub.
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