Slow Start Hurts Orangemen In 87-76 Loss To Mountaineers
2/17/2001 2:33:15 PM | Men's Basketball
SU trailed 14-5 just five-and-a-half minutes into the contest. The Orange were able to come back and force six ties in the opening period but the Mountaineers scored the last nine points prior to the intermission and led, 35-26.
The hosts advantage swelled to 15 points in the second half. A West Virginia dunk with 8:07 remaining put the Orange behind, 60-45.
SU went to a fullcourt press and began to charge back into the contest. A 20-8 Syracuse run, keyed by 10 points from DeShaun Williams, pulled the Orangemen within three, 68-65, with 3:53 on the clock.
The Mountaineers fought off the charge and used a 19-11 run to finish off the visitors.
Williams led the Orange with 21 points, 18 of which he posted in the second-half. Damone Brown, who was limited to 29 minutes of play because of foul trouble, had 18 points and a team-high seven boards. Preston Shumpert was held below double-digit scoring for the first time this season.
Syracuse shot just .365 from the field and .167 from the three-point line. The Orangemen did force 23 West Virginia turnovers, including 19 in the second half. The Mountaineers won the battle of the boards, 54-31.
