‘Cuse Comes up Short at St. John’s, 84-72

Sunday, December 13

New York, N.Y.

12:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

7-3

St. John's

7-3

Syracuse

ST.JOHN'S

12/13/2015 2:23:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

NEW YORK CITY - The Syracuse men's basketball team came up short against former BIG EAST rival St. John's despite a late comeback attempt, falling 84-72 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon. Both teams are now 7-3 on the season.

Grad student Michael Gbinije finished in double-digits for the fifth time this season, ending the day with a game-high 21 points, including three 3-pointers, while adding seven rebounds.

Freshman Tyler Lydon registered his second double-double of the season, pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds while racking up 11 points.

Freshman Malachi Richardson added 15 points and a game-high four steals, and grad student Trevor Cooney posted three steals, five assists, and 11 points.

Syracuse and St. John's took turns with the lead in the first 10 minutes, but the Red Storm soon built a seven-point lead on an 11-1 run to take a 22-15 advantage with 7:43 left to play. The Orange stepped it up beyond the arc, as a three by Gbinije knotted it up at 22 and another 3-point bucket by Lydon gave Syracuse the lead, 25-24, with just over five minutes left to play.

The Red Storm proceeded to claim the lead once again, going on a 13-2 run to secure the largest lead of the game at the time, 37-27, heading into the final minute of the first half. St. John's finished the first 20 minutes with a nine-point lead, 40-31.

Syracuse cut the St. John's lead down to eight, 50-42, at the 15:55 mark of the second half with another 3-pointer by Gbinije. The Red Storm, however, didn't let up, maintaining a steady lead heading into the last 10 minutes of the game.

A pair of free throws from Cooney brought the Orange within seven at the 8:55 mark, 63-56, but the Red Storm continued to answer from the arc, sealing two 3-pointers within less than 45 seconds of each other to bring St. John's a 71-58 lead. 'Cuse, however, cut the St. John's lead down to seven off of six unanswered points and a layup by Lydon, 71-64, with 6:15 left to play.

The Orange defense stepped it up heading into the final minutes, reducing the St. John's advantage down to seven again, 79-72, from a pair of free throws by Richardson with 3:14 left to go, setting 'Cuse up for a timely comeback. A pair of steals by Richardson and Cooney created opportunities for Syracuse to continue the retaliation, but the Orange couldn't convert as the clock dwindled in the home team's favor, sealing an 84-72 St. John's victory.

Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome on Saturday, Dec. 19, taking on Central New York foe Cornell. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. Tickets are available online, by phone (1-888-DOMETIX) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B).