Whether it’s the Boeheim who’s on the sideline or the Boeheim who’s on the court, they can be a lethal bunch. Thanks to Buddy Boeheim’s 25 points, the 11 seed Syracuse Orange upset the 3 seed West Virginia Mountaineers and are once again heading to the Sweet 16.
Syracuse was in control for much of the game and it appeared as though it would be a blowout. In the first half, Syracuse was up by as much as 14 but West Virginia clawed back in the second half. Thanks to a scoring drought that lasted 4:35, West Virginia cut the deficit to two.
The final 12 minutes of the game would be a shooting showcase from both teams. Both teams were awesome from three (Syracuse at 45 percent and West Virginia at 42 percent) but Boeheim and Sean McNeil specifically stood out with their deep range shots.
In the end though, Syracuse would pull away and hold on for the win. West Virginia found themselves in a near three minute scoring drought with a couple minutes to go. And despite snapping out of that dry spell and getting it to within two, it wasn’t enough and Syracuse won.
Syracuse will face the winner of Rutgers and Houston and now things are getting real about the Orange. This is the third time a Jim Boeheim coached Syracuse team made the Sweet 16 as a double digit seed and not only have they done it three times in the past five tournaments, they went to the Final Four as a 10 seed in 2016. Could they go on another run?
About Phillip Bupp
Producer/editor of the Awful Announcing Podcast and Short and to the Point. News editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. Highlight consultant for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them.
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