Field Level Media
Dec 19, 2020
Quincy Guerrier had a career-high 27 points and 11 rebounds and Alan Griffin scored 24 points and added a key block to lead Syracuse to a come-from-behind 107-96 overtime home victory over Buffalo on Saturday.
Josh Mballa scored a career-high 27 points and Jayvon Graves added 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Bulls, who beat the Orange here two years ago.
Griffin scored seven points in the extra frame and Guerrier had a dunk and a 3-pointer in OT after the Orange rallied from a 16-point deficit with 16 minutes left in the game.
Syracuse chipped away with the help of some backcourt pressure and drew even for the first time at 78 on a driving layup by Marek Dolezaj with just over three minutes left.
A layup by Griffin provided the Orange a three-point edge before Ronaldo Segu drained a 3-pointer from the right wing with 15 seconds left. The Orange then turned it over, but Griffin tracked down Graves from behind to block a fast-break dunk attempt to end regulation.
Dolezaj had 19 points eight rebounds, five assists and four blocks for Syracuse, which shot 48 percent from the field (36 of 75) but made just 3 of 19 attempts from beyond the arc.
Buddy Boeheim scored 22 points but needed 24 shots, and Kadary Richmond added 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists off the bench. Griffin contributed 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
The Orange missed their first 11 shots from 3-point range, extending their streak to 23 straight misses from beyond the arc dating back to the Northeastern win.
Mballa scored 13 points in the first half as Buffalo led 48-37, and the Bulls extended the lead to 59-43 on the 6-7 junior's inside hoop four minutes into the second half. He finished 11 of 18 from the floor.
Buffalo didn't have much trouble with the Syracuse zone, shooting 51.4 percent (18 of 35) in the first half and connecting on 6 of 13 from deep.
The Orange were 0 of 7 from the arc in the first half but committed just three turnovers as Guerrier, Boeheim and Dolezaj each scored nine points.
--Field Level Media