The Downside: Duke

[SWC75]

- We got Duked. They called a blocking foul on us at the other end and then a charge on us on the decisive play. Our guy was stationary when he got called for the block. Their guy wasn’t set and also wasn’t directly in front of Fair and they got the call both times. Two powerhouses go at each other hammer and tong for 40 minutes and the game gets decided on a BS call.


- But that might not have mattered had we not missed 22 of our last 25 shots in the first half and lost a 9 point lead. That was the time to get a good lead and take control of the game but we mistook the back rim for the net and put numerous dents in it.


- I suppose it should be said that if JB had not gotten the technical we still would have been down 2 with 11 seconds left and Duke taking the ball in from out of bounds. The game would not have been over.


- Both Rakeem Christmas and Baye Moussa Keita got their fourth fouls with 12:50 left and Jerami Grant, having to take over for them, got #3 at 11:38. It hurt our interior defense badly and slowed down our rebounding down the stretch as well. Many of those fouls seemed questionable. Duke shot 44.4% (16 for 36) from inside the arc at the Dome. In Cameron they shot 59.3% (16 for 27) inside the arc. The foul trouble our centers were in had a lot to do with that.


- Tyler Ennis is still a fine player but his road to glory has hit a few ruts of recent, including an awful 2 for 13 from the field tonight.


- Trevor Cooney scored once, on a drive to the basket, and made a couple of free throws for 4 points. Our backcourt was 3 for 18 from the field.

 

[NorSyr66]

- We got Duked. They called a blocking foul on us at the other end and then a charge on us on the decisive play. Our guy was stationary when he got called for the block. Their guy wasn’t set and also wasn’t directly in front of Fair and they got the call both times. Two powerhouses go at each other hammer and tong for 40 minutes and the game gets decided on a BS call.


- But that might not have mattered had we not missed 22 of our last 25 shots in the first half and lost a 9 point lead. That was the time to get a good lead and take control of the game but we mistook the back rim for the net and put numerous dents in it.


- I suppose it should be said that if JB had not gotten the technical we still would have been down 2 with 11 seconds left and Duke taking the ball in from out of bounds. The game would not have been over.


- Both Rakeem Christmas and Baye Moussa Keita got their fourth fouls with 12:50 left and Jerami Grant, having to take over for them, got #3 at 11:38. It hurt our interior defense badly and slowed down our rebounding down the stretch as well. Many of those fouls seemed questionable.


- Tyler Ennis is still a fine player but his road to glory has hit a few ruts of recent, including an awful 2 for 13 from the field tonight.


- Trevor Cooney scored once, on a drive to the basket, and made a couple of free throws for 4 points. Our backcourt was 3 for 18 from the field.

Well said. I totally agree that the calls at the end killed us but Syracuse played some pretty miserable ball late in the first half and into the second half. On the otherhand I feel they may be starting to come out of their funk. Monday night will determine if this team wants to put the last two games behind them and start playing ball again or if the first 25 games were a fluke.