Battle, Brissett guide the Orange to a win over Cornell
Battle, Brissett guide the Orange to a win over Cornell
Syracuse survived a close contest against upset-minded Cornell, 63-55. The Orange made a great deal of mistakes but played well enough to improve to 5-2 on the season.
Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim said he expected more from his team and was not pleased with their sloppy performance.
“We were out of sync all night,” Boeheim said at a postgame press conference. I’m disappointed after coming off a game like we had the other night.”
Diamonds in the Rough
Although the game did not go as planned for SU, there were a couple of bright spots. One of which was junior guard Tyus Battle, who carried the Orange offensively with a season high 26-points.
Battle is normally known for his ability to attack the rim, but tonight he found the range from behind the arch and knocked four three-pointers. The only other player who made his presence known on offense was sophomore guard Oshae Brissett, who pitched in 19 points and 8 rebounds.
“Tyus and Oshae played well enough for us to win,” Boeheim said. “Other than that, there was nothing really good tonight at all.”
Patented Boeheim Defense
The Orange defense forced Cornell to commit three shot-clock violations in the first 10-minutes of the game. After struggling mightily against Syracuse’s zone defense, senior guard Matt Morgan cracked the code.
Morgan went 9-14 from the field, scored 26-points, and knocked down six three-pointers. The Orange didn’t have an answer for Morgan’s ability to swish threes from 25-feet out.
“When Matt Morgan gets going, he’s tough,” Boeheim said. “He can put the ball in the basket with anybody in the country.”
Boeheim Blood is Thicker than Water
Regardless of the outcome, this game was a special occasion for the entire Boeheim family. Coach Jim Boeheim had the opportunity to see two of his children play head to head on the national stage.
Cornell forward Jimmy Boeheim and Syracuse forward Buddy Boeheim played against each other for the first time in their college careers. Many members of the Boeheim family were in attendance for this unique occasion, and Jim Boeheim could not be more proud of his sons both on and off the court.
The Orange will take on Northeastern (4-4) in the Carrier Dome on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m.
is a contributor to The NewsHouse.
