Beat writers predict single-digit contest between Syracuse and No. 13 Virginia
Our beat writers predict mixed outcomes for Syracuse's game at Virginia on Sunday night. Margaret Lin | Staff Photographer
Syracuse (13-7, 3-4 Atlantic Coast) travels to No. 13 Virginia (14-4, 3-3) for a 7 p.m. tip on Sunday. Originally slated for Saturday, the game was pushed back due to a snowstorm headed toward Charlottesville. The Orange is coming off a two-point win at No. 20 Duke on Monday night.
Here’s how our beat writers think the matchup will unfold.
Sam Blum (15-5)
Syracuse 75, Virginia 70
Stay hot
Baby it’s cold outside, but don’t tell that to the red hot Orange, coming off its best win of the season on Monday at Duke. The Cavaliers are stout at home, but have proven themselves beatable against the lesser ACC competition. The Orange is gradually proving that it belongs in the upper echelon of the conference, and a win against UVA does just that. Syracuse’s defense has been absurdly good this season, and a mixture of that and timely shooting will do the trick.
Jesse Dougherty (14-6)
Virginia 62, Syracuse 57
Hoo goes there?
Let’s put it this way: The 2015-16 Virginia basketball team doesn’t lose at home. Period. And Syracuse, albeit coming off a road win at No. 20 Duke, isn’t the team to hand the No. 13 Cavaliers its first loss at John Paul Jones Arena. With Malcolm Brogdon and London Perrantes, the Hoos have a backcourt capable of breaking the zone and shutting down Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney on enough possessions for the Orange’s offense to sputter to the tune of a below-60-point performance.
Matt Schneidman (13-7)
Syracuse 66, Virginia 60
Ice age
In the aftermath of a snowstorm that shut down the entire UVA campus, Syracuse will turn back the clock and revert to the 3-point happy team that won the Battle 4 Atlantis at the beginning of the season. Cooney, Gbinije and Malachi Richardson are rarely all hot in the same game but Sunday provides an opportunity for a second straight win against a ranked opponent and a possible catapulting back into a glimmer of the national spotlight. Virginia is a stingy interior team, so Syracuse resorts to what it knows best for the upset.
