At the 9:40 mark in the second half, Jim Boeheim thrust off his jacket.

Wake Forest’s answers Sunday afternoon often came in the form of a 3-pointer — which prompted Boeheim’s jacket removal — or an alley-oop to 7-foot-1 center Doral Moore. WFU constantly answered, too, hitting big shots late in the game that never failed to silence a once-booming Carrier Dome crowd. After the Demon Deacons further cut into SU’s lead, Boeheim tossed a chair to the side. It was another 3-pointer.

Not until a Paschal Chukwu block and Tyus Battle two-handed jam did fans get the reprieve they sought for the better part of 20 minutes. Because while many of the 24,018 in attendance saw Syracuse’s late burst to pull away, winning 78-70, the Orange shouldn’t have had to be in that situation in the first place.

This time last week, Syracuse was stuck in neutral. Losers of three straight, SU’s offense could not keep pace in the Atlantic Coast Conference. But a surprising 78-73 victory at Louisville Monday night that provided the Orange a glimmer of hope. The Orange (17-8, 6-6 ACC) followed it up with a 78-70 win Sunday afternoon over a sliding Wake Forest (9-16, 2-11) team. Battle scored a game-high 34 points as SU eclipsed 70 points for the second consecutive game.

However unpromising SU looked down the stretch, failing to finish off a strong first half and stow away its opponent, the home victory represents another small but needed step toward NCAA Tournament consideration.

“We just played great defense in the first half,” Boeheim said. “I was disappointed, we should have been in control … we won the game because we got to the foul line 39 times.”

Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer

A win did not come for Syracuse in the two teams’ meeting on Jan. 3, when Wake Forest crushed SU on the glass en route to a 73-67 victory. The Demon Deacons have lost 10-of-11 games since, so this victory is far from telling. But the slight difference Sunday came both from interior defense — the Orange defended well inside and limited second-chance points — and rebounding margin. SU was beat to the boards countless times last month at WFU, but the Orange out-rebounded WFU 35-32 this time.

Several other factors led to SU’s victory. Syracuse entered the break up by 10 points, only the second time in 2018 that it’s had such a buffer to begin the second half. The Orange, as it showed in the second half, needed that buffer. Rest also likely played a role, as SU had five days off since it earned a road win Monday night in Louisville. When Syracuse’s offense exploded late last month in an 81-63 victory over Boston College, the Orange was coming off an eight-day hiatus.

Next up is North Carolina State at home Wednesday (two days rest), then a trip to No. 25 Miami on Saturday. Matchups against No. 9 Duke and No. 21 North Carolina loom later in the month, making home games against unranked opponents all the more important to seize.

“We need wins,” Boeheim said last week. “We need wins anywhere.”

To Boeheim, Sunday’s win originated from the charity stripe, where Syracuse tallied 26 points. Eleven came from Battle alone. His aggressive takes opened up the outside, where SU shot 6-for-12 from deep. But Wake Forest hit nine of its 13 3-point attempts in the second half to stay close. How Wake Forest’s shooters — Bryant Crawford and Mitchell Wilbekin being the primary culprits — traces to an SU adjustment.

The Orange had been packing the paint, preventing WFU from driving and dumping off to bigs. The Demon Deacons made plays from the middle of the floor — exactly what you don’t want out of the 2-3 zone, Howard said. As a result, Moore had 16 points and 16 boards. When SU dropped back, WFU shot the lights out as space became open up top. Crawford and Wilbekin combined to drill six-straight 3s alone, pulling the Demon Deacons almost all of the way back.

“I’ve never seen anybody come in here in 42 years,” Boeheim said, “and make six in a row. Two different guys make six in a row.”

Oftentimes, drives to the basket appeared to be just that, until WFU’s guards kicked the ball out, Syracuse associate head coach Adrian Autry said. That deception, combined with the shooters’ hot hands, made the perimeter a heaven for the Demon Deacons.

The Orange responded by enticing Wake Forest to enter the ball into the high post and prevent 3-pointers at almost all costs. A few steals resulted, none more important than Howard’s in the final minutes.

Shortly after a WFU turnover, Howard, who had 12 points and nine assists, picked off a pass. While he missed both free throws, a share of grunts and boos came, but he poked the ball out on the next WFU possession. Then came Chukwu’s monster block, depriving the Demon Deacons of a last-second comeback.

“They were smart,” Boeheim said. “When we spread out, they went inside. But fortunately, they didn’t convert in there.”

The SU offense still stagnated at times, often bailed out only by a nifty one-on-one move by Battle. The defense, the very thing on which SU’s identity rests, was fairly strong.

But, perhaps more than anything else, Sunday proved the Orange’s growth since its road loss against the Demon Deacons over a month ago: that it may know how to do just enough to hang on when ahead.

“Good win,” Boeheim said.

Published on February 11, 2018 at 3:33 pm

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21