Highlights & Recap: Syracuse Loses Tough One to North Carolina

The Orange lets another opportunity for a big win slip through its fingers.

More than 20,000 people bore witness to what ended up being a heartbreaking loss for Syracuse men’s basketball.

With 1:23 left on the clock, Joe Girard hit a three to take a 68-66 lead. And one minute later, the sixth and final lead change of the game would go in North Carolina’s favor.

Pete Nance went one-for-two from the stripe, and put back his own miss to go up 69-68.Judah Mintz got inbounded the ball and took it the length of the court before getting charged for a flagrant foul against RJ Davis. Caleb Love went to the line twice afterwards and the Tar Heels escaped the Orange 72-68.

Love, with 15 points, was one of three Tar Heels to score in double-figures, alongside Armondo Bacot with 18 and Pete Nance’s 21.

The Orange had three in the double-figures, too: Girard with 18, Judah Mintz had 17 and Chriss Bell’s 15.

Before fouling out, Jesse Edwards had seven rebounds and five blocks, and only 8 points.

“He has trouble moving against a stronger guy offensively,” Boeheim said.

While unusual in Boeheim’s eyes, he feels the team did well on the boards. Against a team like North Carolina who likes to get second chance points, Syracuse outrebounded them 35-30 and only allotted two second chance points, although they were the ones that sealed the fate of the game.

North Carolina has now won three of the last five matchups between the two. The Orange last beat the Tar Heels by an almost similar score to this one, 72-70, on Mar. 1, 2021.

Syracuse will travel to Blacksburg, Virginia this weekend to face Virginia Tech on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. The Orange beat the Hokies 82-72 in the JMA Wireless Dome on Jan. 11.

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