'Cuse Pulls Off 68-60 OT Win vs. Hokies

Tuesday, February 2

Syracuse. N.Y.

8:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

(16-8) (6-5)

Virginia Tech

(12-11) (4-6)

OT 1

Virginia Tech

Syracuse

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

2/2/2016 10:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - In a game Syracuse did not lead until the game got into overtime, the Orange pulled off a 68-60, overtime triumph against Virginia Tech on Tuesday night in the Carrier Dome. A jumper by Michael Gbinije 22 seconds into overtime gave the home team its first lead of the game and the Orange (16-8, 6-5) outscored the Hokies (12-11, 4-6) in the extra session, 12-4.

Gbinije led both teams in scoring on the night, racking up 17 points for his 24th double-digit point total of the season. The freshman duo of Tyler Lydon and Malachi Richardson each tallied 13 points, with Lydon adding six rebounds and Richardson dishing out four assists.

Junior Tyler Roberson pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds while adding 12 points on the evening. It marked his squad-leading sixth double-double of the year.

The Orange trailed by seven, 55-48, with 2:26 left, before unleashing a furious rally. A 3-pointer by Richardson followed by a Lydon dunk narrowed the gap to two, 55-52, with 1:02 remaining in regulation. After a Virginia Tech free throw, Gbinije fired a deep three at the other end to knot the game up at 56 with 34 seconds left to play.

Syracuse defended a gamel-winning shot attempt by Justin Bibbs and the subsequent rebound by Roberson gave Richardson a last-second three-point attempt that was off the mark.

The Orange took its first lead of the game 22 seconds into overtime off of a jumper from Gbinije. A layup on the Virginia Tech end by Kerry Blacksheear evened the score at 58-58, but Syracuse answerd with a 3-pointer from Trevor Cooney to grab the lead for good at 61-58, with 2:59 left in overtime.

Richardson drained his third 3-pointer of the night to extend the Orange lead to six, 66-60, with 1:39 left. The Syracuse defense did not yield Virginia Tech a bucket the rest of the way, holding the Hokies scoreless from the 2:08 mark on. Free throws from Roberson and DaJuan Coleman sealed a 68-60 victory for the Orange.

The Hokies started things off on an 11-4 lead before the Orange cut it down to three, 14-11, thanks to a 7-3 run by the home team. Syracuse continued to trail, inching within one of Virginia Tech at the 6:55 mark, 16-15, until a 3-point bucket and a layup put the Hokies back at a six-point advantage.

Struggling to get anything going offensively, the Orange continued to play catch-up heading into the final minutes of the half, as the Hokies created its largest lead of the half off of a 3-pointer with 1:21 left, 28-19. A last second three by Lydon, however, pulled Syracuse within six heading into halftime, 30-24.

The Orange shot just 29.6% (8-27) from the field in the opening half, tying its lowest first-half score of the season.

Cooney started Syracuse off on the right foot in the second half, knocking down a 3-pointer nine seconds in to cut the Hokie lead down to three, 30-27. Virginia Tech proceeded on a 7-0 run to extend its lead 37-29 just over three minutes into the half, but the Orange soon answered on a 7-0 run of its own to come within reach of the lead, 37-36.

A free throw from Roberson tied it up for the first time since the beginning of the game with 9:54 left to play, 39 all. The Orange couldn't seem to grab ahold of the lead, however, as the Hokies kept it within a one possession game heading into the last five minutes of the contest.

After starting off the ACC schedule with four straight losses, Syracuse has rebounded to win six of seven league outings. Virginia Tech suffered its fifth straight ACC loss.

Syracuse will have eight days off before facing Florida State on Thursday, Feb. 11 in the Carrier Dome.