Syracuse returned to the Carrier Dome on Wednesday and defeated Boston College 76-50 to win back-to-back Atlantic Coast Conference games for the first time all season. The Orange (10-7, 3-3) were led by sophomore Buddy Boeheim’s 22 points while redshirt junior Elijah Hughes added 19 points. 

Here are superlatives from the game:

The Big Moment: When the opponent starts 0-18 from the 3-point line, it’s hard to pin why Syracuse wins to one moment. But a stretch of seven Boston College misses while Syracuse scored 15 points in a little more than four minutes to close the first half put the game out of reach for an Eagles team that never created any consistent production on offense. 

The 15-2 run Syracuse closed the first frame on started with a pair of free throws from Marek Dolezaj and was followed by a Buddy 3-pointer. Boston College called timeout after an ensuing Hughes’ transition dunk.

The run was a microcosm of a game in which Syracuse made offense look easy, and Boston College made it look like the Carrier Dome installed double-rims. Syracuse finished 51.9% from the field while Boston College made 20 of its 61 field goal attempts and only scored 13 first-half points.

Stud: Buddy Boeheim 

After Syracuse’s win over Virginia, Jim Boeheim made two matter-of-fact points about his son, Buddy’s, play. First, that he struggled against the Cavaliers, shooting five-for-16, but Boeheim also assured Buddy needed to keep shooting. Eventually, the 40% 3-point shooter would hit his shots. 

Against Boston College, Buddy started three-for-four from beyond the arc and ended the first half with 15 points. His stroke looked effortless as usual, and shots sank despite some contests from the Eagles defenders around him. Buddy pushed the ball in transition too, sinking two layups on consecutive possessions. 

Dud: Jesse Edwards 

The freshman big man saw minutes early in Syracuse’s matchup against Boston College, but quickly played his way out of them. After challenging an elbow shot and forcing a missed jumper, Edwards wasn’t as successful on the next possession as a Boston College player charged in and hit a floater. On another BC trip down the court, Edwards misplayed a rebound and promptly fouled a BC shooter. Six minutes after entering the game with a chance to play meaningful minutes, Edwards exited the court. 

Highlight: Syracuse’s first basket 

Much was made early in the season about Joe Girard III’s ball-handling ability and how he’d handle ACC press defenses. Boston College tried to challenge Girard early in the game, and it failed. The freshman guard faked a drive to his right, crossed up his defender left and broke loose toward the hoop. As the ball sank through the netting Girard pointed down toward the court, noting his layup would count along with a foul shot he’d soon swish. 

Lowlight: Elijah Hughes injury 

Midway through the first quarter, Hughes lept toward the basket and fell hard after a collision with a Boston College defender. He laid on the ground for more than a minute before eventually leaving after a trainer visited him on the Carrier Dome floor. Hughes left the game under his own power grabbing his right side in the rib area. He eventually came back in the game and finished with 19 points, but the quietness in the Carrier Dome as Hughes lay on the ground spoke to how much Hughes means to SU this season. In an otherwise one-sided game, a near injury to one of the ACC’s top scorers was one of the few near-scares for Syracuse.

Published on January 15, 2020 at 8:28 pm

Contact Josh: jlschafe@syr.edu | @Schafer_44