Showing posts with label syracuse orangemen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label syracuse orangemen. Show all posts

Games 740-741: Thursday doubleheader

741 - (8) Hampton at (1) Campbell
Big South quarterfinals
March 7 at Gore Arena in Buies Creek, NC
espn3

Two of the top six scorers in the country were on display in this one, an 86-77 Campbell victory.

Chris Clemons, who is one of the top scorers in NCAA HISTORY (over 3,000 points), scored four above his average with 34 points. The senior was just 7-of-21 from the field, but using his unorthodox method of free-throw shooting - he doesn't stand directly in the center of the line, but almost completely to right - hit 17-of-19 - to help  the top seed erase a second-half deficit and advance.

Jermaine Marrow, sixth nationally in scoring coming into the night, led the Pirates with 22 (3 1/2 below his average), but like Clemons struggled with his shot (7-of-20).

Just an insane Clemons' statistic was revealed late in the game. Including Thursday's game, the lightning-quick guard has scored in double figures in 127 of a career 128 games!

740 - (12) Virginia women vs. (5) Syracuse
ACC second round
March 7 at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC
ACC Network

Games 577-578: Tournament, day 2

NCAA Tournament first four
March 14 at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, OH
TruTV

578 - (11) Arizona State vs. (11) Syracuse

577 - (16) Texas Southern vs. (16) NC Central

Jim Spanarkel "basketball" count:

Total: 40
first game: 19
second game: 21

Game 303 - Louisville at Syracuse

February 13 at Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY
ESPN

Syracuse erased a seven-point deficit over the final 4 1/2 minutes of the second half to force overtime, and led by two a minute into the extra session. But the Cardinals followed with a 10-0 run and led for good.

For some reason, Louisville decided to foul a three-point shooter, up five with 13 seconds to go, and Andrew White made all three to get the Orangemen to within 74-72. Then Jaylen Johnson helped out some more at the other end, missing a pair of free throws.

Syracuse's last chance came on a White three that turned into an offensive rebound by Tyler Roberson and ANOTHER FOUL by Louisville with less than three seconds on the clock. Roberson missed both and Ryan McMahon sealed a 76-72 win with two charity shots.

White's air ball was the last of 26 misses in 34 attempts from behind the arc for the hosts (Louisville came into the night third nationally in three-pont defense). That led to Sad Jim Boeheim:




Game 295 - Syracuse women at Duke

February 10 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC
ACC Network

The Orange came into the night averaging 80.5 points (13th nationally), but were held to 25 below their season average in a 72-55 loss.

Syracuse struggled mightily shooting the ball (25% overall), and in particular from three-point range where the visitors made just 10-of-37. Duke's defense is fifth nationally in field goal percentage defense and tied with Connecticut for ninth in perimeter defense, but Friday was more about Syracuse just missing a number of good looks from behind the arc.

The main culprit was Brittney Sykes, the ACC's second-leading scorer who was held to just 11 points & missed 13 of the 16 shots she attempted.

Meanwhile, the Blue Devils got a near-triple double from Lexie Brown (nine points, eight assists and 11 rebounds), 18 points and 10 rebounds from Rebecca Greenwell and a dominant effort in the paint (out-scored Syracuse 44-8) in improving to 14-0 at home.

Games 210 & 211 - Two remain

NCAA national semifinals
211 - (10) Syracuse vs. (1) North Carolina
210 - (2) Oklahoma vs. (2) Villanova
April 2 at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX
TBS

When the first of the following phrases were said by the announcing team:

* Grant Hill's first time calling Bill Raftery "Coach" - 14:21 left in first half

* Jay Wright dresses well. The reason I know this is because the announcers mention it EVERY SINGLE TIME VILLANOVA PLAYS. Hill invented yet another GQ/Jay Wright nickname and it was "JQ" (9:15 left in first)

* "Blow by" - 1:10 in first

* "Dribble drive" - 18:52 in second half

Some other made-up nonsense:

"Post rubs" (said twice)
"Space dribble (2)
"Trying to body search"
"Value the ball"
"Pick and pop" (2)

* And finally, Raftery said "they gotta get into the game a little bit, Oklahoma, the sooner the better" and "a little ricochet romance!", so he wasn't getting away with either of those things.

Game 208 - (10) Syracuse vs. (1) Virginia

NCAA Tournament regional final
March 27 at United Center in Chicago, IL
TBS

I didn't think Syracuse deserved to even be an at-large team, and now the 10th-best team in the ACC is headed to the final four.

The path was a bit easier for the Orangemen, who were fortunate to avoid No. 2 Michigan State in the round of 32 and No. 3 Utah in the Sweet 16, but they were still an 11 seed that came back to beat Gonzaga in the regional semifinal, then erased a 16-point lead in the final nine minutes to stun top seed Virginia 68-62.

Also, after the game ended Kevin Harlan said "Syracuse, back from the dead on Easter Sunday", so we can't let him get away with that.

Game 207 - (7) Tennessee women vs. (4) Syracuse

NCAA Tournament regional final
March 27 at Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD
ESPN

Syracuse point guard Alexis Peterson is always fun to watch and she was fantastic Sunday (29 points, six assists), leading her team to an 89-67 victory and the school's first trip to the final four.

This is the first of what will become many seasons of closely following the womens tournament, so I don't have a ton of knowledge of past years. I'm still going to guess this has been the craziest in history:

1. There were a pair of 4 vs. 7 regional finals (Washington, Syracuse's semifinal opponent upset fourth-seeded Stanford to also reach the final four for the first time).

2. Top seeds Notre Dame and South Carolina were heavy favorites to the get to Indianapolis, but were eliminated in the Sweet 16 by Stanford & Syracuse, respectively.

3. A pair of No. 2 seeds (Arizona State & Maryland) were knocked out in the round of 32.

And this all happened on one side of the bracket.

* It was a big day for the Scoochie Smith All Stars as well. We'd like to officially welcome Syracuse's Isabella Slim to the team and make her a tri-captain.

Games 188-189: High seeds fall

NCAA Tournament second round

189 - (13) Hawaii vs. (4) California
March 18 at Spokane Arena in Spokane, WA
TBS

The Pac 12 ladies and gentleman!

That's five teams from the conference (Cal, Arizona, Oregon State, USC & Colorado) already eliminated from the tournament.

188 - (10) Syracuse vs. (7) Dayton
March 18 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO
CBS

A lower seed - Syracuse - winning 70-51 and a Steve Smith "basketball" count. What a way to start the day.

First half: said eight times
Second half: 9

Total: 17

Notable

"That's a good basketball play."

Thanks, Steve!

"High basketball IQ play."
"Comfortable with the basketball."


Other games watched:

(10) VCU vs. (7) Oregon State
(15) UNC Asheville vs. (2) Villanova

Games 165-166 - Early afternoon hoops

166 - (7) Florida A&M women vs. (2) North Carolina A&T
MEAC quarterfinals
March 9 at Scope Arena in Norfolk, VA
espn3.com

165 - (9) Syracuse vs. (8) Pittsburgh
ACC second round
March 9 at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
ESPN

Game 97 - Georgia Tech at Syracuse

January 30 at Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY
ESPNU

Saturday afternoon always seems like a good time for a nice, long list of basketball phrases/nonsense.

"Mid majors on steroids"
"Athleticism-wise"
"SPECimen"
"Draft boards"
"ACC bracketology"
"Effort plays" (said twice)
"Tournament resumes"
"The landscape of college basketball"
"Energy is contagious"
"He's had young legs today"
"Skill set"

And let's quickly play Thanks, Chris!

Here's commentator Chris Spato on

Post play:

"There's just a lot of meat down there...you get meat going after one another!"

His overall thoughts on basketball:

"Talent has to affect winning."

A Tech possession down two with 50 seconds left:

"This is a huge possession."

[all] Thanks, Chris!