Battle's Final Shot Bests Hoyas

Saturday, December 8

Syracuse, NY

3:30 PM

Syracuse University

(7-2)

Georgetown

(7-2)

Georgetown

Syracuse

12/8/2018 6:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. – A jumper by Tyus Battle with three seconds left on the game clock was enough to push Syracuse (7-2) past Georgetown (7-1), 72-71, Saturday evening at the Carrier Dome. Battle finished with 26 points, with 21 of them coming in the second half, to lead the Orange past its long-time rival in front of the season's largest crowd of 24,082.

Elijah Hughes reached double-digits for the seventh time this season. He contributed 15 points, 11 of which came in the second half, and six rebounds. Oshae Brissett just missed his second-straight double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED
With 10.6 seconds left and Georgetown ahead, 71-70, sophomore center Marek Dolezaj drew a charge on a driving Jagan Mosely, to give Syracuse possession. Brissett in-bounded the ball to Hughes, who quickly passed it out to Battle. Battle drove it down the court and raised up for the game-winning jumper. A last-second chance from Jahvon Blair from just across halfcourt bounced off the rim.

COACH BOEHEIM'S THOUGHTS
"When we had the answer, we answered. I challenged Tyus (Battle) at halftime and said "You cannot play like this unless you win" and he just stepped it up. He had a monster second half. Elijah got some looks. He can shoot, he can make those. I think we can shoot the ball better from three than we did in the second half. We ended up eight for twenty-eight and we are better than that. We can shoot the ball better than that."

"Tyus Battle drops one on G-town!"@tyusbattle1 ❄️❄️❄️ pic.twitter.com/sUEBERbQpo
— Syracuse Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) December 8, 2018

SHARP SECOND-HALF SHOOTING
Syracuse fired off a 14-4 run to start the second half, pulling themselves within striking distance, 39-36. The Orange went 7-of-8 during its run, spurred by Battle's 10 points and perfect 3-of-3 shooting from the floor. It looked as if the Hoyas would find an answer with a 7-2 run but the Orange responded again. Syracuse put up a 13-0 run for a 54-48 lead, taking its first lead since early in the first half.

Georgetown clawed back with a pair of baskets, tying the game at 60, and starting a 10-2 run. Paschal Chukwu halted the Hoyas's run with a dunk to pull the Orange within one, 65-64. Freshman guard Jalen Carey knocked down a critical three-pointer to push Syracuse ahead, 67-66, but Georgetown tallied to retake the lead, 68-67.

SLOW START, FAST FINISH
Syracuse struggled early, connecting on just 1-of-13 shots to begin the game. The Orange managed just 22 first-half points. Syracuse hit 7-of-28 (.250) from the field, including a 1-of-14 effort from the 3-point line. Down 35-22 at the break, Syracuse was up against its largest halftime deficit of the season, one equaled in its earlier loss to Oregon.

The Orange opened the second half in a different manner -- a 7-of-10 shooting spurt keyed by Battle's 3-of-3 effort.

The sharp shooting paid off as Syracuse ended the second half 18-of-30 (.600) and 7-of-14 (.500 from beyond the arc. Battle was nearly flawless, going 7-of-10 for his 21 second-half points. Down 65-64, the Orange went 4-of-6 and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc to close out the final four minutes of the game.

OF NOTE

Saturday marked Georgetown legend Patrick Ewilng's return to the Dome as Hoya head coach for the first team.
Syracuse's 60 percent field goal in the second half was a season-high while the 50 points in a half where the most for the Orange since Jan. 13, 2017. Syracuse had 53 on that date against Florida State.
The historic rivalry lived up to its billing with two ties and nine lead changes, seven of which came in the second half.
Frank Howard led the Orange with four steals. Syracuse forced 15 Georgetown turnovers.
Syracuse had a 19-11 advantage on points off turnovers.
Saturday was the 94^th all-time meeting between the storied rivals. Syracuse now leads the series 51-43, including two-straight wins.
Both teams entered Saturday's matchup with a four-game win streak.
The 20^th ranked Syracuse football team was honored at halftime for their 9-2 season that will continue at the Camping World Bowl Dec. 28. Tickets and travel packages are available at Cuse.com/CampingWorld

UP NEXT
Syracuse continues its seven-game homestand with a non-conference match-up against Old Dominion on Dec. 15. The game is scheduled for a noon tipoff. Tickets can be purchased online at Cuse.com, by phone at 1-888-DOMETIX and in person at Gate B at the Carrier Dome.