After hanging close for the first 26 minutes of play, Syracuse was defeated by both #14 Duke and positive regression to the statistical mean, 86-66. The Blue Devils (10-3, 1-1 ACC) missed all nine of their 3-point attempts in the first half, but made all eight of their tries after intermission to blow open the game. Despite getting big nights from Maliq Brown and Judah Mintz, the Orange (10-4, 1-2) simply could not keep pace.
Duke picked apart SU on offense after halftime, shooting 18-of-24 (75.0 percent) from the field in the second half. That torrid pace made Syracuse’s 53.8 percent second half pace (14-of-26) from the floor pale in comparison, but the real culprit was the Orange’s sloppy care for the ball.
SU turned the ball over 17 times on the night, undermining just about anything positive they accomplished on the offensive end, including Brown and Mintz’s production. The duo combined for 44 points on the night, as Brown rolled up a career-high 26 points. Unsurprisingly, the reserve center was ultra-efficient, making 11-of-15 shots from the field.
Mintz had six assists to go with his 18 points, but also committed five turnovers. J.J. Starling was the only other Orange player to make more than two field goals, finishing with nine points.
Both teams found offense hard to come by at the start of the game. The hosts had the better of things at the beginning, as Syracuse could not hit from the field for the first three-and-a-half minutes. That allowed Duke an early 7-1 lead, but once the Orange got the lid off the hoop, they answered with eight straight points for a two-point edge.
The Blue Devils answered by ramping up the defense, holding SU to a single field goal in a nearly five-minute span as they went on a 10-2 run to go up just past the midpoint of the first half, 17-11. Judah Mintz responded with seven points in a 9-2 Syracuse run that gave them the slimmest of margins at 20-19 with just under seven minutes left in the half.
Duke answered with an 8-1 run that gave them the lead and a little breathing room, but Maliq Brown scored eight straight Orange points, including notching three dunks, to tie the game at 29 a side with a couple minutes on the clock. The two teams traded scores until the break with Duke getting the last for a 35-33 edge.
A prelude of what was to come, the hosts got a 3-pointer to open the second half, pushing their lead to five. The margin between the two teams stayed between there and a single point for the first six minutes after the break, but the Blue Devils exploded for a 13-2 run to take their biggest lead to that point at 62-49 and force an SU timeout with 10:22 remaining.
Syracuse could only pull within 11 points, as another Duke run, this one of seven straight, effectively ended the game with 5:21 to play with the hosts holding a 77-59 lead. The Orange could only get within 13, but the hosts capped the night with the seven points to close it out.
Mark Mitchell dominated for the Blue Devils in the opening half, tossing in 18 of his team-leading 21 points before halftime. Four of his teammates also reached double figures in the second half alone, tallying between ten and 14 points apiece. Jared McCain hit four triples to finish with 18 points, while Jeremy Roach added 17, Tyrese Proctor 14, and Kyle Filipowski 12, all after the break.
----
Chat about this story and all things Syracuse and Syracuse recruiting on our premium message board, Cuse Classified!
Follow us on Twitter @TheJuiceOnline, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram @SUJuiceOnline and listen to our podcast.
Tips/questions/concerns? E-mail Recruiting Analyst Charles Kang here.
Not a subscriber to The Juice Online? Join today for access to all our premium content and message board community.
