Syracuse Falls Short At Rutgers, 79-69

Tuesday, December 8

Piscataway, N.J.

9:30 PM

Syracuse University

3-1,0-0ACC

Rutgers

4-0,0-0Big Ten

Syracuse

Rutgers

12/8/2020 11:48:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Jim Boeheim Press Conference Highlights Photo Gallery

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Twenty points and eight rebounds from Alan Griffin were not enough against the Scarlet Knights as Syracuse (3-1) lost for the first time this season to Rutgers (4-0) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Tuesday night by a score of 79-69.

The Orange had three players score in double figures, with Griffin posting his second-straight game with 20+ points. Quincy Guerrier scored 18 and set a new career high with three made 3-pointers. Marek Dolezaj tallied 14 points and grabbed four boards, scoring the first seven points of the game for the Orange. He finished two field goals shy of tying his career-best for makes in a game (8).

Kadary Richmond led Syracuse with seven assists and five steals. The seven assists are a new personal best for Richmond.

FROM COACH BOEHEIM
"Rutgers is a really good defensive team," said Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim. "I thought that when we executed, we got some really good shots and good looks. Kadary (Richmond) did a really good job in his first game on the road against a good team and Quincy (Guerrier) showed that he can make threes in games like this."

GETTING STARTED IN THE GARDEN STATE
The Orange offense was buoyed by Dolezaj to open the contest. The Slovakian senior provided the first seven points for the 'Cuse and grabbed a pair of boards as Syracuse trailed, 10-7, five minutes into the contest.

Guerrier soon evened the score with a triple, but Ron Harper Jr. extended the Scarlet Knights' advantage with back-to-back 3-pointers. Out of a media timeout, a Myles Johnson dunk and a transition layup from Montez Mathis forced a Syracuse timeout with Rutgers up 20-10 with under 10 to play.

Fouls from the Scarlet Knights helped the Orange pull close past the midway point of the half. A made free throw from Guerrier and a pair of charity stripe conversions from Griffin cut the Rutgers lead to seven. Griffin then sank a triple in front of the Rutgers bench to trim the deficit to four with eight to play in the half.

With just over six minutes remaining in the opening frame, a pair of Harper Jr. free throws sent the Scarlet Knights ahead seven. On the ensuing offensive possession, John Bol Ajak found Woody Newton surging down the baseline for a one-handed slam to bring the score back within five. Soon after, Rutgers extended their lead to eight, but Newton stayed hot, draining a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to make the score 29-24. A 5-0 run from the Scarlet Knights led to a Syracuse timeout with 2:34 to play and gave Rutgers a 34-24 advantage.

PULLING CLOSE IN PISCATAWAY
After the teams went nearly a minute and a half without scoring, the Syracuse shooters took charge to end the half on a 6-0 scoring run. Robert Braswell opened the stretch with a reverse layup to bring the Orange within eight. Richmond followed with a free throw make and Joseph Girard III knocked down a pull-up triple with four seconds to go, making the Rutgers lead 34-30 at the break. Dolezaj led the Orange with nine first half points while Griffin took charge on the glass with four boards.

RAC-ING TO THE FINISH
The Orange opened the second stanza with Guerrier driving to the bucket for the finish and drawing a foul, converting at the line to close the deficit to one. A Harper Jr. triple returned the Scarlet Knights' lead to four before Guerrier got another basket to make the score 35-37. A 4-0 Rutgers run stretched the score to 41-35 with 18 to go in the game.

Syracuse stayed on the offensive as the half progressed. With Girard III driving to the cup, he looked right and kicked out to Guerrier, who buried the triple to bring the Orange within three with 17:50 on the clock. The teams continued trading baskets, with Syracuse snipping the lead to as little as one, before a 4-0 Scarlet Knights scoring stretch made the score 54-49 and forced a Syracuse timeout with 12:25 to play.

Across the opening eight minutes of the second half, Guerrier gave the Orange 11 points, seven more than he had in the first half, to keep the 'Cuse in business.

A made free throw made the Scarlet Knights' lead six, but Syracuse struck back with a baseline drive from Richmond to pull within four. Guerrier then made one-of-two free throws after a Rutgers flagrant foul and Griffin buried a deep triple to tie the score at 55 with nine to play.

Mathis made a triple of his own to put Rutgers back up three. But Griffin got a pair of free throws to fall and cut to the hoop on the ensuing possession for a two-handed slam to take the lead, 59-58. A Richmond steal sent him off to the races, hammering home a dunk to put the Orange up 61-58 with just over 7 to play.

SCARLET KNIGHTS SEAL THE GAME
After another Rutgers answer, Dolezaj found Guerrier by the basket for a smooth finish to go back up three with 5:38 to go. But the Scarlet Knights would not be silenced. Young converted a pair of free throws to put Rutgers within one. A dunk from Johnson, a triple from Mathis and a layup from Young sent the Scarlet Knights on a 9-0 scoring run to take a 71-65 lead with 2:09 to play. The Orange attempted to strike back late in the game, with Dolezaj and Richmond each sinking a pair of free throws to bring the Orange back within seven. But six straight points from the Scarlet Knights, followed by a made Richmond free throw, sealed the victory for Rutgers, 79-69.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

With the loss, Syracuse drops to 3-5 all-time in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge.
The loss snaps a 13-game winning streak against the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers' last win in the series came on January 29, 2003 with a 68-65 victory in Piscataway. Syracuse would go on to win the national title later that season.
Quincy Guerrier set a new career high with three made 3-pointers. The triples equal the number he made during his freshman season in 2019-20.
Kadary Richmond set a new career high with seven assists. Richmond had previously recorded six assists against both Niagara and Rider.

UP NEXT

Syracuse opens ACC play at Boston College on Saturday, December 12 at 1 p.m.

Syracuse University Athletics remains committed to doing everything it can to support and protect the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes, our staff and the campus and Syracuse communities. All decisions will be science-based and informed by public health and guidance as provided by county, state and public health officials.

If fans are permitted to attend games – in some capacity – Syracuse Athletics will announce plans for spectators to secure admission to the events. Fans will be required to sit in their socially-distanced seat locations and wear a face covering.

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