Field Level Media
Jan 9, 2019
Elijah Hughes scored 14 points and Frank Howard and Tyus Battle each added 12 to lead Syracuse to a 61-53 win over the visiting Clemson on Wednesday night at the Carrier Dome.
Marcquise Reed had 16 points and Elijah Thomas added 13 for the Tigers (10-5, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who were stifled by the familiar zone defense of the Orange.
Syracuse (11-4, 2-0) was on top for the final 36 minutes of the game, building leads of as much as 12 points in the first half and 13 in the second.
The Orange held Clemson to just 35.8 percent shooting -- and 25 percent from 3-point range -- to win despite shooting just 41.7 percent themselves. Syracuse shot just 23.1 percent from deep, with Battle and Oshae Brissett combining to go 0-for-10 from 3-point range.
Marek Dolezaj added 10 points for Syracuse, which won its fourth straight following back-to-back losses to Old Dominion and then-No. 14 Buffalo.
Clemson lost its second straight, having fallen to No. 1 Duke 87-68 on Saturday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Two of Clemson's starters, guard Shelton Mitchell and forward David Skara, struggled with the typically suffocating Syracuse defense. Mitchell shot just 2 of 11 for five points, and Skara went 1 of 8 for three points.
Syracuse shot 50 percent from the field in the first half but just 3 of 14 from 3-point range. That was enough to help lift them ahead early, as the Tigers shot just 32 percent -- hitting just eight field goals -- and 25 percent from 3-point range.
All five Syracuse starters had at least five points in the first half, led by Brissett's seven points, and Thomas led Clemson with eight in the first half.
The Tigers face another tough assignment Saturday when they play host to No. 4 Virginia. Georgia Tech visits Syracuse on Saturday.
--Field Level Media