Superlatives from Syracuse’s 66-62 upset win over No. 9 Virginia
Jessica Sheldon | Staff Photographer
Freshman guard Tyus Battle finished with 23 points, flashing his get-to-the-rim ability and pull-up jumpers throughout the game.
Syracuse (15-9, 7-4 Atlantic Coast) extended its season-high win streak to four games with a 66-62 win over No. 9 Virginia (17-5, 7-3) on Saturday afternoon in the Carrier Dome. The victory gave head coach Jim Boeheim his unofficial 1,000th win. Here are superlatives from the game.
Big moment — Syracuse’s 19-2 run to open second half
The Orange’s 2-3 zone completely stifled the Cavaliers at the beginning of the second half. On multiple occasions, Tyus Battle picked off passes to the wing. Taurean Thompson impressed on both ends and Tyler Lydon hit a monster 3 to force Virginia to call a timeout with just under 12 minutes remaining. Syracuse took a 39-36 lead and the crowd was into the game the rest of the way.
Stud — Tyus Battle
Battle played effective throughout the entire game, hitting 3s when he had the chance and driving to the basket with strength. He finished a nifty putback early in the first half while trailing in transition. Four minutes into the second half, Battle intercepted an Isaiah Wilkins pass from the high post then attacked, drawing two free throws on the other end. Battle finished with 23 points.
Dud — London Perrantes
Perrantes scored only 11 points and as Virginia’s offense stalled early in the second half, he wasn’t able to bail his team out. He’s the Cavaliers’ leading scorer, entering the game averaging 12 points per contest. Still, the guard struggled when SU’s 2-3 zone clamped down.
Highlight — Taurean Thompson’s alley-oop
In transition, John Gillon found Taurean Thompson wide open at the rim. Gillon lobbed it up and Thompson slammed it home, but the play was also important because Syracuse was on an 8-0 run, forcing the Cavaliers to call timeout. SU had cut the deficit to just four with 17 minutes left in the game.
Lowlight — Kyle Guy’s third 3
With under a minute left in the first half, UVA’s sharpshooter got free once again and canned the long ball. The shot capped off the Cavaliers’ 15-3 run to end the first 20 minutes as Virginia entered the break with a 12-point lead. By his third made 3-pointer, Guy had clearly proven his status as one of the best freshmen in a conference full of them.
Published on February 4, 2017 at 2:00 pm
Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds
