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Syracuse clawed back from a 16-point deficit in the second half, using its full-court press for a burst of energy in a comeback win. A helter-skelter sequence capped off by a chase-down block from Alan Griffin sent the game into overtime. Griffin used the clutch block as a launchpad, leading SU to a 20-9 overtime period. He grinned as he sunk two game-icing free throws.

SU (6-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) which was favored by 10.5 points against Buffalo (3-3) enters conference play on the heels of two narrow nonconference victories. The Orange have won ugly, shooting 5-for-37 from 3 in its past two games.

Here are three takeaways from Syracuse’s thrilling 107-96 overtime win:

Dry cleaning

Earlier this season, head coach Jim Boeheim said Syracuse can’t press a pair of pants.

The statement was in jest, but it became relevant again Saturday. For the second straight game, Syracuse had to press to try to find a second-half spark. And for the second straight game, it worked.

Syracuse rolled out its most athletic lineup, featuring freshmen Kadary Richmond and Woody Newton, and took UB out of its offensive rhythm. The full-court trap didn’t necessarily force turnovers, but it baited the Bulls into rushed shots and miscues in the frontcourt.

The Orange went on a 10-2 run to cut Buffalo’s lead to single digits. Richmond swatted a Bull’s attempt at the rim, and two Marek Dolezaj buckets later made it a six-point game. But UB had deciphered the press.

After about 10 minutes of pressure, SU called it off. Still, the maneuver gave the Orange the energy they needed. Richmond in particular jolted SU, pushing the pace and getting to the free throw line.

Dolezaj took a charge and finished a broken play at the rim. A deep Griffin 3 over Josh Mballa’s late contest caused UB to call a timeout with 6:24, its lead diminished to three. The score see-sawed several times after, with Quincy Guerrier’s and-one finish and Griffin’s follow-up tip preceding a game-tying 3 with 15 seconds left. The press was gone, but the game remained in the balance after 40 minutes of regulation.

Hopping in the time machine

Before Jayvon Graves and Jeenathan Williams connected on three consecutive early 3s, the game felt like a throwback. For both teams, there was a clear emphasis on attacking the rim over settling for 3-point jumpers. There were backdoor cuts, interior big-to-big passing and crashing the boards.

Williams started the game with a baseline cut and reverse lay-in. Griffin soon answered with a backdoor cut and slam on the other end.

It took almost five minutes for Syracuse to attempt its first 3, an ill-advised walk-in try from Joe Girard III. SU averages 9.2 3-pointers on 23.1 attempts per game and has shot over 50% multiple times already, but it most recently went 2-for-18 in a narrow win over Northeastern.

UB got hot from deep, and it was 2020 again for the Bulls. But the old-school attack continued for the Orange. SU called designed post-ups for guards Buddy Boeheim and later Richmond, both of whom had size mismatches.

The inside scoring effort came out of necessity. SU went 0-for-7 from deep in the first half, and to start the second half, it missed five more. Girard, Buddy and Griffin all had good looks, but they all clanked. Buffalo’s lead ballooned to 16, and SU’s drought extended to 23 straight misses (including Northeastern).

The game ended up as the high-scoring affair it was billed as. But SU’s points came mostly from atypical areas on the court, at least for the modern game. The Orange finished 3-for-19 from behind the arc and scored 58 of their 107 points in the paint.

The center conundrum continues

Dolezaj picked up his second foul with about eight minutes left in the first half, when he tried to take a charge but his feet were in the restricted cylinder. Boeheim typically sticks with players who pick up two fouls, but he subbed out Dolezaj. It was early in the game, and a third foul could’ve spelled trouble for a team trailing 27-21.

But in the three-plus minutes after Dolezaj exited, Buffalo went on a 12-4 run, making up the majority of a 17-4 sprint. In his place, Jon Bol Ajak struggled.

On one play, he allowed an entry pass from the perimeter into the middle too easily. Mballa scored twice through him, and wing LaQuill Hardnett took a power dribble from the short corner into Bol Ajak’s body and finished over him.

When teams score against Syracuse’s 2-3 zone inside, it’s often not the center’s fault. The zone requires each defender to play in tandem, and one player isn’t responsible for an allowed bucket. But the dropoff in interior defense from Dolezaj to Bol Ajak was glaring.

Until Bourama Sidibe (torn meniscus) returns, Syracuse is incomplete. Playing Dolezaj at center has mostly worked — and at times unlocks a high-octane offense SU will need in ACC play — but it’s not a permanent solution. Dolezaj avoided further foul trouble and ended up playing 42 minutes. Every one of them was crucial, as the senior finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four blocks.

Published on December 19, 2020 at 8:37 pm

Contact Danny: dremerma@syr.edu | @DannyEmerman