Cavaliers Take Down Orange in Season Opener

Wednesday, November 6

Syracuse, N.Y.

9 PM

Syracuse University

0-1,0-1ACC

Virginia

1-0,1-0ACC

Virginia

Syracuse

11/6/2019 11:40:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Boeheim Press Conference Player Interviews Carmelo Anthony Interview Dave Bing Interview Highlights Photo Gallery Head Coach Jim Boeheim Quotes - Virginia Syracuse Player Quotes - Virginia Virginia Head Coach Tony Bennett Quotes

SYRACUSE, N.Y – The defending national champion Virginia Cavaliers (1-0, 1-0 ACC) defeated Syracuse (0-1, 0-1 ACC) on Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opening night, 48-34, in the Carrier Dome. Elijah Hughes' 14 points, nine from 3-point range, were the most for the Orange.

The 34 points for the Orange represented the lowest by a Syracuse team since before the Dome opened in 1980.

FROM COACH BOEHEIM:
"They are very difficult to play against. They're in the top two or three defensive teams every year. You don't want to play them in the first game."

DEFENSE DICTATES
Virginia opened up an early 10-2 lead in the first 10 minutes of the contest. The teams shot a combined 5-for-25 from the field in that span. The Cavaliers converted only one-of-seven 3-point attempts, while the Orange missed all five of its attempts from behind the arc. Virginia held the advantage in rebounds, 15-6, including three offensive boards, with just under 10 minutes to play in the first half.

Trailing 13-2 with nine minutes remaining, a 3-ball from Elijah Hughes sparked the Syracuse offense and got the 22,518 fans involved. A floater in the key from Marek Dolezaj and a 3-pointer out of the hands of Buddy Boeheim made the score 13-10 with just under six minutes to play before the break.

With 1:22 left in the opening half and Syracuse down by seven points, a Joseph Girard III shot from behind the arc bounced around the rim and in to bring 'Cuse back to within four. The Cavaliers took a 25-19 lead into the locker room.

SAME STORY IN THE SECOND
Both teams played effective defense in the opening minutes of the second half, as Virginia edged the Orange 5-2 in the first five minutes.

A successful 3-point play from Cavalier senior guard Braxton Key gave his team a 35-24 lead seven minutes into the second half. Hughes answered with his third made three of the night, cutting the advantage to eight points, and giving him 13 points at the time.

VIRGINIA PULLS AWAY
With 8:32 to play, Virginia's Kody Stattman drilled a 3-point bucket to give his team a 42-27 cushion that carried the defending national champions to victory.

Gallery: (11/6/2019) MBB hosts Virginia

NOTABLE NUMBERS

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim now holds a career record of 39-5 in 44 season openers at his alma mater.
The last time 'Cuse scored less than 40 points came in a loss to Georgetown, 61-39, in March of 2013.
The Cavaliers outrebounded Syracuse, 47-28.
Three different Virginia players ended in double figures: Mamadi Diakete (12), Jay Huff (11), and Kihei Clark (10).
The Cavalier bench outscored the Orange reserves 16-5.
Syracuse forced 16 Cavalier turnovers. The Orange capitalized with 10 points off those miscues.
There game included only seven fast-break points combined between the teams.

STARS CAME OUT
The season opener created a festive atmosphere in the Dome with many alumni and former players coming out, including a visit from 2003 National Champion Carmelo Anthony and Dave Bing.

UP NEXT
The Orange begin their 11 game non-conference slate Wednesday, Nov. 13, back in the Dome against in-state opponent Colgate. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised live on the Regional Sports Network.

Tickets for Virginia and all regular-season home games are on sale now online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and at the Dome Box Office located in the Ensley Athletic Center.

For complete coverage of Syracuse men's basketball, follow us on Twitter (@Cuse_MBB), Instagram (cuse_mbb) and like us on Facebook (SyracuseOrange).