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The end of February used to mark a time when Syracuse was ramping up for a deep NCAA Tournament run. At worst, it meant the Orange needed a couple of key late-season wins to pull themselves off the bubble. However, as the calendar winds down on the 2024-25 season, SU finds itself on the bubble. The one for the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

Entering Wednesday, Syracuse sat in 15th place in the ACC, holding the final spot for the conference tournament with four games remaining. One game behind SU was North Carolina State, which the Orange welcomed to the JMA Wireless Dome on Wednesday. A win would calm fears of not participating in the postseason, while a loss would mean SU’s bubble could be close to bursting.

The former was the result, as Syracuse (12-16, 6-11 Atlantic Coast) handily beat NC State (11-17, 4-13 Atlantic Coast) 74-60. The Orange bullied their way past the Wolfpack with a concerted effort to score in the paint, where they totaled 46 points. Jyáre Davis and Eddie Lampkin Jr. feasted against NC State’s undersized frontcourt, combining for 29 points and 22 rebounds. Following three straight losses, the Orange likely secured an ACC Tournament spot by creating breathing room between them and the Wolfpack.

Syracuse started the game with a sense of desperation. It jumped on the Wolfpack in the opening minutes by pounding the ball in the paint. NC State started four guards, leaving Ben Middlebrooks as its lone forward. As a result, the Orange fed Davis and Lampkin early.

Lampkin went right at Middlebrooks, overpowering him for a couple of buckets, while Davis also feasted on the inside, guarded by Dontrez Styles. Nine early points from Syracuse’s frontcourt propelled it to a 13-3 lead five minutes in. During that stretch, NC State couldn’t buy a bucket, starting 1-for-8 from the field.

Even when Lampkin and Davis exited five minutes in, Naheem McLeod picked up right where they left off. McLeod set a couple of high-ball screens for Jaquan Carlos, who hit the big man without hesitation on back-to-back possessions. Carlos then hit a tough mid-range jumper, extending SU’s lead to 19-8 with 11 minutes remaining in the first half.

It was a similar urgency to Syracuse’s previous game against Pittsburgh. Eight days ago, the Orange jumped out to a 16-point first-half lead on the road before collapsing in the second half. Wednesday, Syracuse held the same advantage when an and-one from Chris Bell made it 28-12 before the under-eight timeout.

After attempting a season-high 33 3-pointers against Pittsburgh, Syracuse was more conservative from beyond the arc. It only shot six 3s in the first half, connecting on two. The Orange finished the game 3-for-8 from beyond the arc.

This was mostly due to SU’s emphasis on attacking the paint, scoring 22 in the first half to pace it to a 38-25 advantage. The Orange held the Wolfpack to 30% shooting from the field while allowing the second-fewest points in a half all season, only bested by Cal’s 23-point effort on Feb. 1.

It was a welcome sign for Syracuse, considering its defense has been treacherous during its three-game losing streak, where it allowed 86 points per game. Wednesday, NC State had trouble with its defense.

Styles entered the second with one fouls. Less than three minutes in, he picked up another. Styles hacked Davis on his way up but couldn’t prevent him from finishing through contact, pushing Syracuse’s lead to 15. Another foul followed soon after.

Styles’ third foul led to NC State head coach Kevin Keatts subbing him out for Brandon Huntley-Hatfield. Keatts opted to keep Middlebrooks on the floor, despite his foul troubles, also. That decision hampered Keatts, with the center fouling for the fourth time with 15:31 left.

Thus, reserve forward Ismael Diouf was thrust into action. Diouf entered Wednesday averaging 8.4 minutes per game in 16 appearances. Without Middlebrooks, NC State didn’t have a rim protector, giving Syracuse free rein to the hoop.

Carlos drove baseline unabated before a Bell score in transition to put the Orange up 19, their largest advantage. A couple possessions later, J.J. Starling scored on an acrobatic finish, forcing Keatts to take a timeout.

The Orange were displaying control they’ve rarely shown this season until they started to get sloppy. NC State started applying pressure in the backcourt, leading to a couple of turnovers. Styles got hot, scoring on a drive to the hoop before knocking down a pair of 3s. Styles’ second triple cut Syracuse’s lead to single digits for the first time since halfway through the first half.

Syracuse responded in the only way it could, playing physically down low. Lampkin emphatically slammed home a dunk to quell NC State’s run. Starling drilled his first 3 of the game, which he followed with a fadeaway jumper in the paint. Just like that, Syracuse’s lead was back up to 15.

From there, it was smooth sailing. Unlike last week, there was no late-game collapse or porous second-half defense, as the Orange held on for their first win in 18 days.

Published on February 26, 2025 at 9:08 pm

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