Orange prevail in an epic triple overtime showdown against Boston College

Coming off of a lackluster performance against Duke Wednesday night, the Syracuse Orange returned to the JMA Dome in hopes of redeeming themselves with a win against the Boston College Eagles.

The two teams last faced off in early January, where the Orange won 79-71. After a hard-fought game filled with lead changes and trading baskets, SU prevailed over Boston after the third overtime, winning the game 95-86.

The Eagles and the Orange both struggled as of late. Boston entered today losing seven of their last eight games and winless on the road this season. As for the Orange, they have lost five of their last eight games. 

All eyes were on junior guard JJ Starling and graduate center Eddie Lampkin Jr. for the Orange entering the game. Both players reached the 1,000-point milestone in the team’s past two contests – Starling’s coming during their win against California and Lampkin’s in the team’s loss to Duke. 

As for the Eagles, sophomore guard Donald Hand Jr. consistently dominates the box score for the team, contributing in all aspects of the game. Hand Jr. is the Eagle’s leading scorer, averaging 15.7 points per game. In addition, he leads the team in rebounds, 6.6 per game, as well as three-point baskets, 48.  

Game recap

Freshman guard Elijah Moore got the team off to a hot start, scoring the first eight points for the team. Lampkin followed up with four of his own, but then the Orange went quiet. The Eagles went on an 8-0 run lasting over four minutes to take the lead.

“Elijah gave us a huge boost in the first half to keep us going,” Head Coach Adrian Autry said.

That was the beginning of multiple lead changes throughout the first half and into the overtime. There were 16 lead changes in the first twenty minutes with the Orange controlling the lead for a total of 12 minutes and 24 seconds. 

Syracuse’s high scorer, Starling, was off to a slow start this afternoon, not scoring his first points until over 15 minutes into the half. It was Moore and Lampkin who sparked the team, with 11 and eight points in the first half respectively. 

Lampkin led the team in rebounds, totaling nine points in each half and helping to prevent the Eagles from second-chance scoring. This allowed Syracuse to enter halftime on a 9-0 run, holding Boston scoreless for nearly four minutes. 

However, they had to regain their stride at halftime and return just as strong as they finished the first half.

Syracuse came out of halftime firing. Starling, who was quiet in the first, showed just why he’s the team’s top scorer. The teams were trading buckets to start the 2nd half, but Starling had nine points in the first seven minutes to maintain the Orange lead.

“It’s no pressure to me because, at the end of the day, I don’t look at it like a job, this is just something that I enjoy and love. I love the team I’m with, and I love the coaching staff,” Starling said regarding how he feels when he has the ball in his possession at stressful moments. “When you have that, there is no pressure at all you just go out and do what you’re supposed to do.”

Lampkin and Starling continued to dominate the court in the second half. However, with seven minutes left in the game, the Eagles cut Syracuse’s lead to just four points.

With 5.3 seconds to go and the Orange up 67-64, Starling missed his first of two free throw shots. He then proceeded to foul Roger McFarlane, who had possession for the Eagles.

After a series of timeouts by both teams, Fred Payne scored a quick three-pointer for the Eagles to tie the game at 67 with 1.2 seconds to go. The teams had not been tied in over 25 minutes since the first half.

The regulation clock ran out, and the teams headed into their first overtime. 

Recap of the three overtimes

The Orange scored first when Jyáre Davis, a senior forward, made both of his free throws. The teams continue to trade baskets in the first OT, a common theme of this game.

To close out the first overtime, Lampkin stole the ball from Beadle, but Starling could not score off the turnover. The teams would head into overtime two tied at 76.

Down the stretch, Lampkin’s dedication to the team and competitive spirit became apparent. He totaled 49 minutes in the game, a personal best for him.

Additionally, Hand Jr., who is a 91% free throw shooter only made 3 of his 8 attempts, and as a team, Boston went 50% from the line. Missed free throws allowed for Syracuse to turn rebounds from Lampkin into points for themselves. 

“Eddie did a phenomenal job towards the end,” Coach Autry said. “Eddie wants to win.” 

Photo by Joohee Na

Syracuse guard Elijah Moore (left) and center Eddie Lampkin Jr. (middle) guard Boston College’s Dion Brown near the sidelines in the first half of Saturday’s game.

Lampkin fought hard for the team, totaling his ninth double-double of the season. He had nearly half of the team’s rebounds and led the team in assists. 

“It was fun, I like competing…I’m going to keep competing every time,” Lampkin said. 

Syracuse was cold in the second overtime, allowing Boston to start to pull away with an 83-76 lead.

However, senior guard Jaquan Carlos scored with 1:47 to go, sparking energy into the Orange, who then went on a 6-0 run to force triple overtime.

Syracuse showed their strength and depth as a team when they held Boston scoreless for almost four and a half minutes of the five-minute overtime. 

Made free throws from Chris Bell to end the triple overtime secured the Orange a victory.

Next week, Syracuse travels to Florida to face the Miami Hurricanes and then will return home for their matchup next weekend against the North Carolina Tar Heels.