Observations from SU’s loss to UNC: 3-point struggles, life without Wilson
Naithan George was held to seven points against North Carolina Saturday, shooting 0-for-5 from deep. His performance largely contributed to SU's 3-point struggles. Zoe Xixis | Asst. Photo Editor
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Time is running out on Syracuse and third-year head coach Adrian Autry. In its final four regular-season games, three Quad 1 opportunities await. The Orange clawed to two of their best wins in conference play but fell to Duke for their worst loss ever in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Returning home, SU had a chance for a bounce-back against North Carolina. Although the Tar Heels went without star freshman Caleb Wilson and center Henri Veesaar was a game-time decision, the Orange couldn’t pull off the upset.
SU trailed by five at halftime, and despite making a comeback push, the Tar Heels’ inside game was too much to contain for 40 minutes.
Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (15-13, 6-9 ACC) 77-64 loss to No. 16 North Carolina (21-6, 9-5 ACC) Saturday:
No Wilson, no problem?
When Syracuse traveled to Chapel Hill a little less than three weeks ago, it quickly met UNC’s Wilson. He dropped 22 points with nine rebounds to build an insurmountable lead. Since then, Wilson fractured his left hand, and Saturday was his third missed game.
Without Wilson, the Tar Heels spread their production. His 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game were replaced by Luka Bogavac in the starting lineup. Wilson’s absence was felt most on the defensive end. UNC strategized by trapping Donnie Freeman with two defenders each time he touched the ball in the early going.
Bogavac got to work once the Orange went to their bench, exposing Tyler Betsey’s faulty defense for an and-1. Veesaar went to work against the undersized William Kyle III with nine first-half points. Veesaar did it again in the second frame, using the height advantage to hit a teardrop shot over Kyle.
Wilson sat on the sidelines in a Carolina blue quarter-zip and navy sweatpants. His left hand is marred by black tape. Yet it didn’t matter much. UNC jumped in front by 12 points with under four minutes to go.
Slowing the 3
The Orange have attempted to become a 3-point shooting team over their last three games. Newsflash: It hasn’t really worked. Across the last trio of contests, SU attempted 82 shots from beyond the arc. Only 27 went in, a 32.9% clip.
Syracuse changed its formula early against North Carolina, attempting only one 3 in the first five minutes and change. The Tar Heels aren’t anything special against the 3, allowing a 34.4% clip for the 204th-best mark in the country. SU attempted only eight 3s in the first half as most of its offense came from J.J. Starling and Nate Kingz driving inside.
Syracuse’s first 3 came over 18 minutes into the game, courtesy of Betsey. The Orange didn’t attempt a 3 in the second half until almost six minutes in. The attempt from Freeman didn’t go. Neither did the next attempt from Naithan George.
SU finished with its fewest 3-point makes since its ACC-opening loss to Notre Dame last year. Betsey added one with just minutes to go for its first of the second half. While the Tar Heels went 6-for-16 from deep, a 37.5% clip, the Orange crumbled in front of a gaudy crowd and national audience.
A slugfest
Just five days ago in Durham, Syracuse tied its fewest points in a first half this year with 24. The Orange nearly doubled their production in the second half, but it wasn’t nearly enough to keep up with the Blue Devils. SU’s offense wasn’t much more impressive against the Tar Heels.
Syracuse dropped 28 points in the first half, shooting only 41% from the field. The struggle arose despite only five SU turnovers through the first 20 minutes. UNC’s offense, outside of Veesaar, wasn’t too hot either. North Carolina turned the ball over plenty, but a run through the middle of the first half, where it made seven field goals in a row, created some separation.
Seth Trimble, who hit the game-winning 3 over Duke just a few weeks ago, was limited to one shot and zero first-half points.
Meanwhile, Freeman didn’t score his first points until 25 minutes in. He finished a lob pass from George, and on the next possession, UNC left him wide open from 3. Freeman bricked the shot, banging his head in frustration after the fact with his fists. North Carolina eventually broke the slugfest with an 8-0 run to make it 52-44 as Veesaar punctuated it with a one-handed slam.
Starling stars
Starling’s production isn’t what it was a year ago. As a junior, he averaged 17.8 points per game on 40.7% shooting. This season, he’s at 12.4 points per game at a more efficient 44.3% clip. Starling dropped 20 points or more in just three games this year. Against the Tar Heels, he easily maneuvered around the court.
He dashed through the lane with flair, dropping eight first-half points without attempting a 3. He then came out of the gate with fire in the second half, dropping six quick points to help the Orange tie the game 36-36 after trailing 33-28 at half.
Starling finished a tough and-1 over Veesaar to make it a 44-42 game, but his free throw missed the mark. Still, his scoring fueled Syracuse’s offense while Freeman never got anything going. As Trimble got going, he stripped Starling for a big swing, finishing the dunk smoothly on the other end.
Starling exited the game with 9:49 to go, and the Orange continued to fall apart. He entered back in with 6:55 to go, but the damage was already done. His season-high 22 didn’t mean much.
