Orange Bows Out of NIT Despite Second Half Surge

Wednesday, March 21

Littlejohn Coliseum

7:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

NIT at Clemson

Game Notes Box Score

Orange Bows Out of NIT Despite Second Half Surge Image

Demetris Nichols scored 20 points to move into a tie for 28th place on Syracuse's all-time scoring list.

3/21/2007 10:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Clemson, S.C.- Second-seeded Syracuse (24-11) nearly erased a 17-point deficit in the final eight minutes of its NIT quarterfinal matchup with top-seeded Clemson (24-10), but the Tigers were able to hang on for the victory, 74-70. The Orange used a 25-9 run to pull within a point with less than two minutes remaining in the game, but could not complete the comeback and its season ended one game short of the NIT semifinals in Madison Square Garden. Eric Devendorf led the Orange with 23 points.

Demetris Nichols, Terrence Roberts, Darryl Watkins and Matt Gorman all played their final games at Syracuse. Nichols scored 20 points and handed out three assists. He finishes his career with 1,344 points, putting him in a tie with Billy Gabor for 28th on the Syracuse all-time scoring list. Roberts had 15 points, six rebounds and two steals, while Watkins had a team-high eight rebounds and a block and Gorman had his second dunk of the season for two points. Paul Harris also had eight rebounds and Josh Wright added three assists for the Orange.

Syracuse was plagued by 17 turnovers against just nine assists. Clemson committed 14 turnovers, but had 14 assists on its 24 field goals. Both teams scored 19 points off turnovers. The 17-point deficit would have been the largest overcome by the Orange this season. Syracuse erased 15-point deficits in wins against Canisius and Northeastern earlier this season.

The two teams combined for 50 personal fouls and had five players foul out of the game. There were 62 foul shots taken in the contest. Syracuse was 19-of-28 (67.9%) from the line and Clemson was 17-of-34 (50.0%). Despite its poor showing from the charity stripe, Clemson was 9-of-13 to close out the game and hold off the Syracuse comeback.

Clemson shot well in the early going; its first three field goals coming from beyond the arc. The Orange went ahead by two on a layup by Devendorf, but the Tigers used a 19-5 run to pull ahead, 28-16, with just under seven minutes to go in the first half. K.C. Rivers scored 13 of his 21 first half points during the Clemson surge, including a pair of three-pointers. The run could have been bigger, but the Tigers missed five-consecutive free throws.

Syracuse scored seven-consecutive points to cut the lead down to five, 28-23. Clemson closed out the first half with a 10-4 run in the final 2:51 to extend its lead back to double-digits, 38-27. Rivers finished the period with 21 points, the most by a Clemson player in a half this season. Devendorf paced the Orange with nine points, followed by Nichols, who had both of Syracuse's three-pointers and eight points. Clemson made seven threes in the first half, four from Rivers.

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim was called for a technical foul at the beginning of intermission for arguing with the referee, so Clemson was awarded two free throws at the before the start of the second half. Rivers made both, extending the Tigers' lead to 13 points and his point total to 23. The Orange was able to cut the deficit down to 11 points three times, but Clemson held tough and led by as many as 17 with under eight minutes left to play.

The Orange got points from four different players during a 12-2 run that cut the lead down to seven points, 60-53, at the four minute mark. Syracuse was spurred along by six points in the span of 29 seconds. Nichols made a free throw after a Clemson technical foul, Devendorf made a layup on the ensuing possession, and then Harris came up with a steal and a three-point play as he was fouled on a fastbreak layup.

Clemson went back up by 10 with a layup and a free throw, but Terrence Roberts scored six points in 43 seconds with two foul shots, a fastbreak dunk off a pass from Nichols, and a tip-in off a missed jumper, to pull the Orange within four points.

The next nine points in the game all came on foul shots. Devendorf cut through the Clemson defense for a layup and Syracuse was down by only a point, 67-66, with 1:10 on the clock. Clemson worked the shot clock down and missed a running layup, but David Potter tipped the ball in. Nichols got a tip-in on Syracuse's next possession and the Orange kept within a point. Rivers made two free throws with 20 seconds remaining, capping his career-high night with 29 points, and Clemson was back up by three. Josh Wright missed a three-pointer and Clemson was able to come down with the rebound. Vernon Hamilton made two more free throws to ice the game for the Tigers. Devendorf scooped in another layup, but it came with less than a second left.