Orange Storm Past Wake Forest, 79-54

Saturday, March 2

Winston-Salem, N.C.

12 PM

Syracuse University

18-10

Wake Forest

11-16

Syracuse

Wake Forest

3/2/2019 2:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Highlights Jim Boeheim Press Conference Tyus Battle Interview Elijah Hughes Interview

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Syracuse men's basketball team (19-10, 10-6 ACC) used a sizzling shooting performance to snap a modest two-game losing streak and defeat Wake Forest 79-54 on Saturday at LJVM Coliseum.

The Orange hit 54.4 percent (31-57) of their field goals against the Demon Deacons (11-17, 4-12 ACC), their second-best conversion rate of the season in conference play. Many of the baskets came easily as Syracuse matched its season high with 44 points in the paint and scored 27 points off turnovers.

Guard Tyus Battle and forward Elijah Hughes combined for 39 points – nearly half of Syracuse's total. Battle poured in 21 on 9-of-13 shooting. Hughes connected on 8-of-12 field goals and finished the game with 18 points. Hughes also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

Chaundee Brown paced the Demon Deacons with 14 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Orange used an early 14-4 run to open up a 20-11 advantage with 12:02 to go in the first half. Syracuse hit seven straight field goals during the stretch, including two apiece by Battle and forward Oshae Brissett.

Consecutive baskets by Wake Forest's Isaiah Mucious ended the spurt and trimmed the margin to 20-15, but Syracuse quickly pushed the lead up to 12 as a driving layup by Battle made the score 32-20 with 6:38 remaining.

A basket by Marek Dolezaj at the 5:09 mark gave Syracuse its largest lead of the first half (34-20) and the Orange took a 38-30 advantage into the locker room at intermission.

In the second half, Wake Forest got back within five 90 seconds into the stanza. However, Syracuse once again responded to maintain control. The Orange went on a 20-2 run to extend the lead to 60-37 with 11:17 remaining and put the game out of reach. Syracuse's defense was pivotal in the sequence as 13 points in the surge came directly off Wake Forest turnovers.

Down the stretch, the Syracuse lead swelled to as many as 28 twice. The second time was on a Buddy Boeheim three with 4:07 left.

PAINT PRODUCTION
The Orange dominated inside, outscoring the Demon Deacons in the paint, 44-10. Syracuse's 44 paint points equaled its season high first achieved back on Nov. 10 versus Morehead State. Against Wake Forest, 24 of Syracuse's 38 first-half points (63.2 pct.) were scored in the lane. The Orange made 15 of its 20 (75.0 pct.) two-point field goals in the opening stanza and ended the game 27-for-38 (71.1 pct.) from inside the 3-point arc.

DROUGHT DOOMS DEACONS
Wake Forest had crept to within 40-35 on a layup by Sharone Wright Jr. in the first minute of the second half, but that proved to be the home team's last basket until Torry Johnson drained a triple with 5:41 left in the contest. In between, the Demon Deacons went 13:33 without a bucket and missed 11 straight shots. Their only points during that stretch were four free throws. By the time Johnson's 3-pointer splashed through the net Wake Forest was down 67-42.

OF NOTE

The Orange are now 8-1 all-time against Wake Forest, including a 3-1 mark at LJVM Coliseum. Syracuse has won three straight in the series.
Battle became the 17th player in program history to reach 1,600 points with his effort Saturday. He now has 1,610 points in 100 career games and trails Dave Johnson (1,614) by four points for 16th place on the Orange's all-time scoring list.
Syracuse outscored the Demon Deacons 41-24 after halftime. Wake Forest turned the ball over a whopping 14 times in the second half, while making just six shots from the floor during the final 20 minutes.
The Orange forced 23 turnovers, their most against an ACC opponent this season. The only team to commit more miscues against Syracuse this year was St. Bonaventure (25) on Dec. 29.
Paschal Chukwu scored nine points and made all four of his field goals Saturday. It was the first time this season that Syracuse's 7-foot-2 center was perfect from the field when attempting at least four shots.

UP NEXT
Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome on Monday to host No. 2 Virginia in the final home game of the regular season. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN.

Tickets for the Orange's Senior Night matchup with the Cavaliers are available now online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and in person at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B).