LSU drops ACC/SEC Challenge to Syracuse 80-57
SYRACUSE, New York – The Syracuse Orange went on a 22-7 run in the final seven minutes of the first half and the first 90 seconds of the second half to take control Tuesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome as Syracuse defeated LSU, 80-57, in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge.
The loss drops LSU to 4-3 on the season going into a Friday night game with Southeastern at 7 p.m. at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Syracuse is now 5-2 on the year.
Jordan Wright led LSU with 15 points, while Jalen Reed had his first college career double double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Reed hit 6-of-10 field goals for the game and of his 11 rebounds, five were offensive.
Judah Mintz carried Syracuse with 33 points and four assists, getting fouled 11 times and making 13-of-15 free throws. It was part of a first half, especially in the last seven minutes, when Syracuse was 14-of-15 from the free throw line. Chris Bell had 20 points with six made threes.
In the second half, the Orange hit 8-of-13 three-pointers and scored 47 points to keep the Tigers from any chance of getting back in the game.
LSU struggled from the arc, making just 2-of-22, one in each half, and got 44 of their 57 points in the paint. Syracuse got 26 points off LSU’s 19 turnovers for the game.
LSU had a 19-16 lead and a 21-19 lead inside 10 minutes to go in the half, before Syracuse began to get to the foul line and take control of the game, opening up a 33-28 lead at intermission.
Syracuse scored the first 10 points of the second half to go up 38-28, forcing LSU to call timeout 90 seconds into the half.
On the difference between the first and second half...
“The first half, I thought offensively, the numbers won’t reflect it, but when we moved the ball, I thought we got some good shots. We weren’t able to convert some of those, we turned it over too many times but at one point we were plus 10 on the glass. I thought we really defended well in the first half and despite the poor shooting percentages, it enabled us to hang around. (Judah) Mintz getting to the free throw line, he drew eight fouls in the first half, we really struggled with him and then that run to start the second half we were not able to overcome that.”
On taking away any positives from the game...
“I think when you look at Jalen Reed’s rebounding, that would be a positive there and then Jordan Wright’s defensive rebounding. A lot of those 50/50 rebounds in the second half we were unable to get and that’s how you went from plus 10 to minus seven on the glass at that point. A lot of lessons to be learned there, I know the number that stands out is the 2-of-23 from three, but I think some of the things that have to get cleaned up are the turnovers and then the ability to guard the three point shot, where we continue to struggle.”
*LSU press release
