After 15-day layoff, Syracuse basketball pulls away in 2nd half for a 93-62 win over Brown

Syracuse, N.Y. — After a two-week pause between games due to Covid-19 protocols, Syracuse resumed its season Monday night in the Carrier Dome with a dominant 93-62 win over Brown.

The Orange (6-5, 1-0 ACC) scored 30 points in the first nine minutes of the second half to pull away from the Bears (8-6). The team’s efficient 70.8% shooting percentage in the final 20 minutes ended a recent plague of poor second halves for Syracuse, which marred previous losses to Villanova and Georgetown.

SU’s second-half surge was led by the superb shooting efforts of Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard.

Boeheim — who finished with a game-high 28 points, five rebounds and three assists — began the second half on fire, scoring eight points in the first two minutes before finding Girard for a wide-open 3-pointer to give Syracuse a 51-36 lead.

Boeheim scored 18 points in the second half before exiting the game to a standing ovation with 4:36 left in regulation.

Girard totaled 15 points and seven assists on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. He made three of his five attempts from the 3-point line.

Brown was led by freshman guard Kino Lilly Jr., who scored 13 points off the bench. Tamenang Choh added nine points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Both teams were coming off long pauses due to positive coronavirus cases within the programs. Brown hadn’t played a game in 16 days since its Dec. 10 loss to Vermont. Syracuse’s layoff lasted 15 days since its loss to Georgetown on Dec. 11.

Syracuse’s potent 3-point shooting (5-of-6) in the early moments of the first half sparked a 16-4 scoring run. Four different Orange players connected on shots from beyond the arc during that stretch, led by a pair of triples from Jimmy Boeheim. Jesse Edwards’s interior defense led to a transition 3-pointer by Joe Girard.

However, Syracuse cooled down from its hot shooting, making only two of its next six attempts from beyond the arc to end the half. Brown went on an 11-5 run midway through the first half and cut the Orange’s lead — which was once 14 — to six heading into halftime.

Syracuse center Bourama Sidibe, who missed the Orange’s first 10 games due to a right knee injury, made his season debut on Monday. Sidibe was seen warming up with the team for the first time this season, which was a strong indicator that he was available for tonight’s game.

Wednesday’s meeting was the first game between Syracuse and Brown since the 1986 NCAA Tournament, which Syracuse won 101-52 in a matchup at the Carrier Dome. With the win, Syracuse improves to 5-3 in the all-time series against Brown, which won the first three meetings. Syracuse has won the last five games against the Bears.

Syracuse will look to build on its success against Cornell on Wednesday. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

Contact Mike Curtis anytime: Email | Twitter

MORE ORANGE BASKETBALL

Buddy Boeheim, Syracuse dominate second half, cruise to win over Brown (Donna Ditota’s Quick Hits)

You Grade the Orange: Rate Syracuse basketball performance vs. Brown

Syracuse basketball box score vs. Brown

Syracuse basketball vs. Brown: Live score, updates

Newest AP men’s basketball poll drops; it’s the final ballot of 2021 (How I voted)

ACC basketball power rankings: Amid postponements, 2 conference games provide clarity

Axe: Syracuse and CNY sports were defined by change and adaptation in 2021

Back-to-back blowout losses have happened to Jay Wright and Coach K, but what about Jim Boeheim? (Mike’s Mailbox)

ORANGE BASKETBALL FANS

Orange Gear | Season Schedule | How to Stream Games

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.