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GREENSBORO, N.C. — Syracuse’s season has been anything but pretty. It was shaky in nonconference play, falling to non-Power Five schools in UAlbany and Saint Joseph’s. The Orange’s conference slate was no different, where they won just six games and were blown out numerous times.
But SU got hot at the right time — handily beating Pittsburgh and Boston College — to qualify for the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. With only 15 of 18 teams making the field, the Orange secured the No. 13 seed and advanced to play BC for the third time this season in the first round.
Coming off of its 82-57 domination of the Eagles just three days before, Syracuse remained confident. Though the Eagles received a boost with leading scorer T’yana Todd returning to the lineup after she missed Sunday’s contest with an injury. Todd’s return paid dividends and despite Syracuse leading 45-28 at half, BC crawled back in the fourth to end the Orange’s season.
Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (12-18, 6-12 ACC) 76-73 loss to Boston College (16-16, 6-12 ACC) in the first round of the ACC Tournament:
BC’s 2nd-half rebound
On Sunday, Todd — who averages 14.3 points per game — was out with an injury, per the ACC Network broadcast. In the first game with Todd, the Eagles’ offense was firing on all cylinders, leading to a 41-point win. But without her, they struggled to get anything going, being on the other end of a blowout.
With Todd back, Boston College was at full strength Wednesday. But its offense fell flat in the first half. Todd didn’t hit a shot until the 6:21-mark of the second quarter and had the ball stolen from her by Sophie Burrows. With Todd’s zero first-quarter points, the Eagles experienced similar offensive struggles, trailing 27-14.
In the second, BC started to hit shots, propelled by Dontavia Waggoner’s 12 first-half points. But Todd’s two-first half points allowed SU to lead 45-28 at the break.
However, the Eagles were a completely different team in the second half. They started on a 14-4 run, propelled by turnovers and fouls on drives to the rim from SU. Todd was still nonexistent, but she didn’t need to do much. BC’s 28-15 third-quarter burst led to just a 60-56 lead heading into the fourth. Both squads went pound for pound in the final quarter as well, and BC came away with the victory.
Paint disparity hurts SU
Syracuse’s blowout of the Eagles in their last matchup gave the Orange a blueprint of how to beat BC. Attack the paint, and they’d win. That’s exactly what they did in the first. Coming off a 50-point effort in the paint, SU scored 22 in the first half on Wednesday.
And it got started in a similar way. Kyra Wood, who scored 10 early points Sunday, drained Syracuse’s first eight points of the game with three straight layups, part of a 15-point day. Later in the first, Wood missed a contested lay-in, but Saniaa Wilson was there to sink the put-back. Wilson and Shy Hawkins added on twice more to begin the second, pushing Syracuse to 22 points in the paint at halftime.
Though with ill-advised giveaways and starting center Izabel Varejão missing time in the second and third quarters with a face injury, Syracuse couldn’t get into the paint to start the third. It didn’t score its first point there until a Burrows free throw six minutes in. BC was instead the team getting its way inside, taking a 26-24 advantage in the area.
SU’s paint presence was diminished in the second half, as BC instead held the advantage inside. Syracuse trailed 46-36 in points in the paint overall, leading to its second-half collapse.
Orange rebound from 3
The Orange haven’t been impressive from 3 this season, sinking just 32.9% of their attempts. On Sunday, it wasn’t a big part of their gameplan, hitting just 5-of-19 shots from deep.
But Wednesday they were on point. Though it took five minutes to hit a 3, Georgia Woolley buried one from the right wing to put Syracuse up 15-4.
Then, Dominique Camp — a 30.8% 3-point shooter — got going. She drilled two looks from beyond the arc to move Syracuse to a 27-14 first-quarter lead. Three-and-a-half minutes into the second, Woolley added her second triple, followed by Burrows’ first trey. The Orange went 5-for-9 from distance in the first half as they built a 17-point lead.
With the Eagles blitzing Syracuse to start the third quarter, Burrows drilled two triples from the left corner to keep Syracuse ahead for the time being. The Orange finished 7-of-16 from 3 overall, but it didn’t lead to a win.
Woolley, Burrows ignite offense
The Orange’s offense has been powered by the Australian duo of Woolley and Burrows this season. The pair combined for 35 points against the Eagles on Sunday. They continued their dominance Wednesday.
Both misfired their first shots to start — Woolley, a left wing 3, and Burrows, a mid-range floater. But it was only a matter of time before they ignited. Burrows converted her first points five minutes in, a floater off the glass. Out of a media timeout, Woolley drained a triple to put the Orange up 15-4. The duo both drilled two more shots to end the first, with Woolley entering halftime with 10 points and Burrows notching seven.
Burrows scored Syracuse’s first 10 points to begin the third, including two 3s and a driving layup. Woolley added on two points of her own, but Burrows’s third-quarter domination kept SU afloat.
In the fourth, Burrows converted three shots from close range, while Woolley added four free throws. Despite the Orange struggling in the second, Burrows and Woolley’s 39 combined points kept them in the game until the bitter end.
The post Observations from SU’s ACC Tournament loss to BC: Paint disparity, late struggles appeared first on The Daily Orange.