#14 Orange Downed by Hoyas, 79-72

Saturday, December 5

Washington, DC

1:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

6-2

Georgetown

4-3

Syracuse

12/5/2015 3:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The No. 14/19 Syracuse men's basketball team (6-2) renewed its rivalry with Georgetown (4-3) on Saturday afternoon in front of 18,231 at the Verizon Center, coming up short against the former BIG EAST foe, 79-72.

In the 91st overall meeting between the two programs, the Orange overcame a 20-point deficit in the second half, outscoring the Hoyas 41-28 over the final 13:38 and drawing as close as six points in the final minute.

Shooting was the story of the game as the Hoyas shot 48.1 percent from the field, including 38.1 percent (8-of-21) from 3-point range, while the Orange shot 38.1 percent overall and 25.9 percent (7of-27) behind the arc. Syracuse used a 22-15 edge in second-chance points to overcome some of the shooting difference, while Georgetown held the slight edge in rebounding, 36-32.

Grad student Michael Gbinije proved his consistent leadership, leading all scoers with 23 points to go with five rebounds and five assists. Junior Tyler Roberson added 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Senior center DaJuan Coleman contributed a season-high 10 points.

Georgetown was led by Bradley Hayes' 21 points, while Marcus Derrickson had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

After going neck-and-neck the opening minutes of the first half, the Hoyas took off on a 12-2 run to put Georgetown up 20-10 with just over 11 minutes to play in the half. The Hoyas continued to strike, extending the run 18-4 and limiting the Orange to minimal opportunities on the other side of the court.

A 3-pointer from grad student Trevor Cooney loosened things up for Syracuse just under the six-minute mark, as the Orange began on a 12-5 run in the final minutes of the half to cut the Georgetown lead down to seven, 31-24. A three by Georgetown's Reggie Cameron with 16 seconds left finalized a 36-24 lead for the Hoyas heading into halftime.

Georgetown came out firing in the second half, kicking off the first minutes with eight unanswered points to extend its lead to 20, 44-24. The Orange defense stepped up heading into the latter minutes of the final half, resulting in fruitful possessions on the offensive end to cut the Hoya advantage down to 58-46 with 9:17 left in the contest, forcing a Georgetown timeout.

Another three from Cooney gave Georgetown a single-digit lead at the 6:18 mark, 65-56, but the Hoyas didn't let up despite the Orange offensive surge, maintaining a steady lead heading into the final two minutes of the matchup.

With the Hoyas up by 10 at the 1:38 mark 72-62, the Orange continued to put up a fight, as layups by Gbinije and freshman Franklin Howard gave Syracuse a mere two-possession deficit with 32 seconds left, 74-68. The Hoyas, however, sunk 5-6 from the charity stripe in the final seconds, securing a 79-72 Georgetown victory.

The contest marked the first game of head coach Jim Boeheim's NCAA-imposed suspension. Assistant coach Mike Hopkins led the Orange from the sideline.

Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome to host Central New York foe Colgate on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online, by phone (1-888-DOMETIX) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B).