College Basketball

3 Keys to Syracuse Basketball's Victory Over No. 6 Florida State

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:33 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

Fansided, Ethan Kimmel/FanSided via Inside the Loud House

The Syracuse basketball team got the upset of their season on Saturday in front of a big SU crowd. Here were the top 3 keys to victory.

It’s safe to say that this season has been a disappointment thus far for the Syracuse basketball squad. They haven’t been able to win on the road and have been plagued by inconsistency.

However, the Orange gave their fans at the Carrier Dome something to cheer about on Saturday as they took down the No. 6 ranked Florida State Seminoles. Florida State is one of the most athletic and talented teams in the country and this was an important ACC win for the Orange.

Playing their second straight close conference game the young guys showed their mettle. Here are what I believe to be the three keys that led to Syracuse’s victory.

3. Solid play at the point guard position

Syracuse has been in dire need of stability at the point guard position throughout the season. Jim Boeheim has tried everything he can throughout the season.

What was once a debate, the battle of the superior point guard has been decided. John Gillon has really separated himself from Frank Howard and proved it against FSU.

He finished with 21 points and 11 assists. He had a pair of threes and shot an impressive 13-14 from the free throw line. His main flaw is that he can be careless with the ball at times.

But his ability to penetrate the lane is the key to SU’s success now and for the future. The season is still very much in front of the Orange.

2. The Tylers

Syracuse’s two big men: Tyler Lydon and Tyler Roberson were both critical in today’s win. As the star, Lydon is expected to lead the team. He did just that, tallying 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 blocks.

Lydon also hit a pair of triples to top off his impressive performance. He got off to a slow start this season, but has really picked it up as of late. He has found a rhythm and has been a valuable asset for the Orange.

Unlike Lydon, Tyler Roberson hasn’t been very productive as of late. In fact, he played just 11 minutes against Notre Dame and 7 against Wake Forest.

Coach Boeheim must have seen a mismatch against the Seminoles because Roberson played 33 minutes on Saturday. He scored an efficient 10 points and collected 10 rebounds. However, he was 0-6 on free throws, which is borderline embarrassing. I’m sure that will be a focus going forward, as those six points could have easily swung the game either way.

1. The First Half

Today’s game was truly a tale of two halves. The Orange led by 18 at halftime, which is widely considered a comfortable lead in college basketball.

But as Syracuse knows way to well, no lead is ever safe. While the Orange were outscored 46-38 in the second half.

They went on a great stretch around the six minute mark in the first and that really allowed them to play average in the second half and still come out on top. FSU is a very good team and to be able to hang in there like Syracuse did in the second half shows that this team is capable of winning big games.

Believe me, I know this team is still flawed and faces a long road ahead of them if they want to make the tournament. But it’s always nice to knock off a ranked opponent.

Oh, and we stormed the court. I know we’re supposed to act like we’ve been there before, but its still fun. Go Orange

More from Inside the Loud House

This article originally appeared on

share

Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

College Basketball

Florida State Seminoles

Syracuse Orange