Defense dooms Syracuse in loss to North Carolina

Photo by Jack Henry

In a primetime matchup set in a Syracuse snow storm, UNC showed resilience winning its 15th game, giving Syracuse its 15th loss. Outside shooting, offensive rebounds, and the turnover battle led to an 88-82 loss at home for the Orange. Syracuse's record fell to 11-15 (5-10). SU is now just one game ahead in the loss column of being left out of the ACC Tournament field. 

A Syracuse team with more struggles on the defensive end gave up a shooting night that UNC has not seen in quite some time. UNC shot 13 for 28 from deep with a career performance from Jae'lyn Withers who had 19 total points and was 3-4 from three-point range. Withers was questionable to play tonight after being "severely poked in the eye" according to UNC head coach Hubert Davis. 

Ian Jackson added 23 points on 5 for 10 from deep and RJ Davis contributed 16 points. 

Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry claims that the Orange have had no trouble scoring points this year, debatable. For Saturday night at least, points were not the issue. Even though early foul trouble only allowed JJ Starling two points in the first half; the second half explosion produced 22 points by the end of the game. Even Starling's 22 were not the team high for Syracuse. 

Big man Eddie Lampkin had game highs in points and rebounds, 26 and 11. Nonetheless it was not enough. 

"They've been off me a little bit, doubling a little bit on JJ and just reading off the ball screens more. For me, Coach Griff was just telling me to be more aggressive and that's what I've been trying to just do more of and it's been working for me," said Lampkin. 

To start the game, both UNC and Syracuse looked as if they were going to have a bad night scoring the ball. Two minutes passed before the first bucket. UNC broke the ice with an Elliott Cadeau bucket, followed by an Eddie Lampkin bucket on the other end. 

The zone defense that Duke once shot through the heart of Syracuse was the same defense that Autry tried to implement against Carolina. A different result as UNC struggled with it to begin. Two straight turnovers for UNC had Syracuse feeling good. 

But Ian Jackson would soon check into the game and have his way. By the end of the first half Jackson scored 16 points on 4 of 6 from downtown. His first shot being a pretty step-back three from the corner. 

Syracuse was having trouble finding its way without Starling. But the contribution of Lampkin, Petar Majstorovic and Lucas Taylor gave the Orange just enough to stay within striking distance. Majstorovic scored six, Taylor scored eight, and Lampkin scored nine. 

"I thought that the team did a good job of keeping it close and I thought we got back in," said Autry. "That was the first time we had to play that much because of foul trouble without him. But I thought the guys for the most part handled it well." 

At the half, UNC led 42-34. 

Starling came out of the break a man on a mission, scoring himself but also feeding Eddie Lampkin. UNC has struggled all season with their interior defense and it was clear the Orange planned to exploit that. 

Starling did his best impersonation of the Notre Dame game cutting the lead and trying to mount a comeback. Twice the Orange got within five points, but UNC stayed resilient. 

Starling and Lampkin eventually marched the Orange all the way back to a tie game at 60 a piece. Starling drove to the basket drawing a questionable blocking foul on Withers and knocked down the free throw to tie the game. Back and forth buckets put both teams at 64 until UNC was able to breakaway for a five point lead, 69-64. 

The game looked almost out of reach for the Orange and fans began to get weary wondering if the team had enough juice left in the tank. Suddenly the Orange marched back. J.J Starling came up with a steal, tough lay-up, and free throw. 81-76, UNC still led but the Orange were marching. 

A few possessions later Lampkin knocked down two free throws cutting the lead to two, 82-80. 

Nonetheless a turnover by Lampkin would all but seal the game. Lampkin backed down defenders as he had all game but instead of taking the lay-up Lampkin kicked out to a shooter in the opposite corner. 

"I should have been more aggressive because they didn't even send the second defender. I saw the opening, but I'm used to Chris or somebody taller being right there, and I tried to just get it there because I seen the defender had his back was towards him," said Lampkin

While as Autry says every game there are no moral victories the Orange can hang their hats on shooting 22 for 22 from the free throw line. This performance, a long-shot from the 9 for 18 performance against Texas in November that had the nation up in arms. 

Next the Orange play Pitt in Pittsburgh, a team that they lost to by four points only a few weeks ago. This team seemingly deflated, "The same mistakes keep happening," said Chris Bell; are still in the picture for the ACC tournament. But the margin for error is shortened by every loss. 

"I think it's always teams like this that make a run in the tournament and can make a run in March Madness. So, if we can do that, get these next five, you never know what can happen," said Lampkin. 

While the margin for error is slim, there's still hope, and it starts Tuesday in Pittsburgh.