Field Level Media
Feb 17, 2018
Guard Frank Howard scored a game-high 18 points -- 12 of them in the second half -- and Syracuse used a 9-2 run midway through the second half to break a 43-43 tie and assume the lead for good in a 62-55 victory over cold-shooting Miami Saturday in Coral Gables.
Forward Oshae Brissett added 16 for the Orange (18-9, 7-7 ACC).
Guard Chris Lykes scored 14 points to lead the Hurricanes (18-8, 7-6), who shot just 33.9 percent in suffering their first three-game losing streak of the season.
Both teams got off to cold starts with the Orange starting the game 1-of-6 from the field, the Hurricanes 1-of-8. That left the Orange with a 4-2 lead after over four minutes in.
Syracuse finally began finding the range and pulled out to a 16-9 lead with just over 11 minutes played as Miami continued to struggle from the field, making only one of its next five shots.
But then the Orange reverted to their cold-shooting ways and the Hurricanes fought back to take their first lead since an early 8-7 lead to take a 21-20 on guard Lonnie Walker's driving bank shot at the 2:14 mark.
They ended the first 20 minutes deadlocked at 25 as both teams blew opportunities for leads. Miami turned the ball over with 5.1 seconds left when the arrow on tie-up favored the Orange, but guard Tyus Battle's running jumper was short at the buzzer.
Walker opened the second half with a 3-pointer to give Miami a quick 28-25 lead, but the Hurricanes missed their next five shots while the Orange went on an 13-0 run, making all six of their attempts, for a 10-point bulge less than five minutes into the period.
They stretched that to 40-28 before Miami scored again on Lyke's 3-pointer to ignite a comeback that resulted in a 43-43 tie with 9:34 left in the game.
--Field Level Media