BROOKLYN — Against its toughest opponent since hosting Virginia in its season-opener, Syracuse (4-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) couldn’t keep up with Oklahoma State’s (6-0) top-40 defense and 3-point heavy offense, falling, 86-72, Wednesday night in the Barclays Center. 

Elijah Hughes led all scorers with 28 points despite slipping hard on the court twice and falling into foul trouble. OSU’s Isaac Likekele paced the Cowboys attack with 26 points on 72% shooting. He added eight assists and five rebounds, too. SU tried to outshoot one of the nation’s best 3-point defenses and missed open shots and forced others, ending its four-game winning streak. 

After the loss, SU will kickoff a Friday double-header against Penn State in the third-place game of the NIT Season Tip-off. Here are three takeaways from the matchup. 

3s, please 

Syracuse’s first field goal was, predictably, a 3-pointer. Buddy Boeheim popped the mostly-SU crowd with a deep ball and jogged to the bench nodding his head, shouting “let’s go,” to anyone in earshot.

The Orange entered the game with more than a third of their points coming from behind the arc, shooting 36% on the season. OSU, meanwhile, limits opponents to 25.7% from 3, a byproduct of an elite interior defense that allows guards to press higher. The Cowboys snagged 12 steals and even deployed a full-court press to glue black jerseys to shooters. Each side created open looks, but Buddy and Joe Girard III combined for just a pair of 3s. 

Syracuse finished 8-of-31 from deep, Oklahoma State went 9-of-26. But the Cowboys makes were backbreakers. A heave from 30-plus feet as the shot clock expired. A fastbreak corner shot while SU scrambled. Both teams held to their game plans. Oklahoma State executed more.

The first time SU was in front of a national audience was the Nov. 6 loss to UVA.  Against the Cavaliers, SU’s offense posted 34 points, sounding the panic button across central New York. But in nonconference play, the Orange responded by having their best players shoot at will and their bigs operate inside. That trend reversed in Brooklyn. 

Troubling fouls 

Orange head coach Jim Boeheim has been adamant about sticking to a tight, eight-to-nine player rotation through five games in 2019-20, but the referee’s whistles forced his hand against OSU. 

But all 10 non-walk-ons registered minutes before garbage time kicked in. Hughes and Marek Dolezaj each picked up three first half fouls and watched the last few minutes of the first half from the sidelines. Boeheim turned to redshirt sophomore Robert Braswell, Quincy Guerrier and Jesse Edwards, and received mixed results in relief. Guerrier continued his rebounding growth, hauling in six, and Braswell netted a 3-pointer. 

Yet, as the lineup combinations continued to differ in the second half — at one point leaving Dolezaj at center, Guerrier and Braswell at forward — OSU’s Yor Anei took over. The 6-foot-10 forward, and preseason Big 12 honorable mention, posted 19 points and eight boards, often tapping in put-backs with ease.

Slow start, quicker turnaround 

As it’s done a few times this season, the Syracuse offense didn’t sprint out of the gate, but stumbled on its front foot. Hughes slipped on hardwood after leaking free on a back cut, spoiling a would-be dunk. Hughes, Buddy and Dolezaj each missed open 3s and Joe Girard deferred to veterans as he crossed half court. Oklahoma State scored the game’s first 11 points before Dolezaj swished a free throw.

After that, the Orange outscored the Cowboys 19-3, taking its first lead of the game nine minutes into the contest. Dolezaj forced turnovers on defense and sparked the offense, facilitating and attempting just his third deep ball of the season. While OSU’s shooting gave it the halftime lead, it was the early Syracuse run that prevented a blowout and gave the Orange a chance for a second-half comeback.

Published on November 27, 2019 at 9:55 pm

Contact Nick: nialvare@syr.edu | @nick_a_alvarez