After Syracuse (7-2) played a miserable first half against former Big East rival Georgetown (7-2) on Saturday, the Orange mounted a second-half comeback. But it all could have been for naught if not for a few key plays down the stretch.

Here’s an in-depth look at a few of the plays that helped Syracuse push past the Hoyas. All embeds via watchESPN.

Tyus Battle’s miss down 71-70

Syracuse could’ve chosen to go earlier on this possession. Down a basket, a miss means the Orange might need to foul if the shot clock and game clock are too close.

But SU doesn’t rush it. Georgetown drops back into a 2-3 zone, which the Hoyas ran occasionally on Saturday, and the Orange move the ball around the top. With about 10 seconds left on the shot clock, Battle decides it’s time to attack. On an Elijah Hughes swing pass, Battle dribbles hard left and explodes by the top defender.

Battle gets the edge he wants and sees 6-foot-10 Jessie Govan in the center of the zone. So the SU junior rises up before he reaches Govan and puts a one-handed shot toward the basket. With the ball in the air, Marek Dolezaj has great rebounding position near the baseline, but Battle’s floater is just long off the back rim, bounding away from Dolezaj and into Georgetown’s hands.

When the rebound is gathered, there’s about 36 seconds on the game clock, about a six second difference with the shot clock. The Hoyas lead by one. At that point, SU has to decide whether to foul or to ride it out.

Marek Dolezaj takes a charge

Syracuse could’ve elected to foul here, with the max deficit being potentially three points. But Jim Boeheim wanted his team to play defense, although he pointed out afterwards that there would’ve been criticism if it didn’t work. A few of the walk-ons at the end of Syracuse’s bench seemed to be gesturing to foul, but the Orange didn’t.

Georgetown runs the clock down most of the way, and initiates offense with about 10 seconds left on the shot clock. Dolezaj looks to go with Govan after Govan sets a screen with Syracuse stretched out into a matchup zone look, but the SU forward reads the play and decides to wait back, near the foul line.

When Jagan Mosely comes off the screen left, Dolezaj guesses that the Hoyas guard will try to get back to his stronger right hand. Dolezaj slides to his own left, while Mosely barrels straight into him. It’s a charge — Syracuse ball — and a chance for the heroics that come next.

“‘Rek stepped up big with that charge,” SU guard Jalen Carey said. “We all congratulated him.”

Tyus Battle game-winner

Here, Syracuse expected pressure. The plan was to hopefully inbound the ball to Hughes, Boeheim said, and that’s the man who freed up for the inbounds.

But after the game, Battle said he knew he wanted the ball in this spot. Once Hughes caught, Battle headed right toward him and asked for the ball, which Hughes provided.

From there, it’s all Battle. He went right, then crossed to his left, then went back right again. With a quick pace from his initial move, Battle’s got Mosely to hustle back quickly to try and cut him off. That gave Battle all the space he needed to stop and pop.

Just inside the top of the arc, Battle rose up. Mosely, his defender, had over pursued at that point and didn’t even put a hand up. It was a purely open look for Battle, and he didn’t miss it with 2.5 seconds left on the clock.

“Tyus just brought us home as our leader, and that’s what we needed,” Carey said.

Final Georgetown shot

On the game’s final play, Syracuse chooses to leave the inbounder unguarded. In this instance, Georgetown would’ve had the option to run the baseline. Regardless, that leaves five Syracuse defenders back to guard four players.

The Orange appear to be content with any catch in the back court. With the clock set to 2.8 seconds to begin the play, there’s no chance any Georgetown player who has to go back to the ball to catch can get a look from much past half court.

It’s Jahvon Blair who got the ball, and with Carey pushed up on him, Blair shot for the game on a double-clutch attempt at the buzzer. The ball had the distance and the trajectory, but in the end, it hit just off the rim.

“Little worried, but no,” Carey said. “I was just glad it didn’t go in.”

Published on December 9, 2018 at 10:42 am

Contact Billy: wmheyen@syr.edu | @Wheyen3