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WASHINGTON — A rude snatch and graceful twirl to initiate a fast break. It was anything but innocuous. The result of an aimless drive which left Judah Mintz in another awkward position — pivot foot flirting dangerously with violating basketball’s travel laws — as he desperately searched for a way to lessen NC State’s 53-41 lead.

DJ Horne quickly relieved Mintz of the likely maelstrom of outcomes in his mind. The offensive trip ends here. He cleanly ripped possession away and sped toward the opposite end. Receiving a perfectly-timed bounce pass from Jayden Taylor, as part of a two-on-one transition effort, Horne easily laid two more points in off the glass.

More stoic pacing along the sideline from Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry. Sat on its bench, assistant coach Adrian Griffin curled his fingertips in frustration.

Next to him, Brenden Straughn stayed slumped in his seat a little longer, both hands fastened firmly to his head — the universal notion of disbelief.

This collective catharsis is understandable. And these split-second glimpses of pent-up release from SU’s coaching staff occurred countless times throughout the second half of No. 7 seed Syracuse’s (20-12, 11-9 Atlantic Coast Conference) 83-65 ACC Tournament second-round loss to No. 10 seed NC State (19-14, 9-11 ACC). Sweeping the regular-season series doesn’t mean much.

The aforementioned slew of events — pioneered by Horne — amounted to just two points amid a game-changing, back-breaking 21-2 run for the Wolfpack. A once 39-37 Syracuse lead with 18:45 remaining nightmarishly contorted into a practically insurmountable 58-41 deficit at the 12:33 mark.

Twenty-one to two.

“The game plan was not to gamble and we gambled,” said SU sophomore guard Kyle Cuffe Jr. “That’s what it was.”

SU’s second-half start was encouraging enough, but just as equally short-lived. Assembled in a 2-3 zone look out of the break, Syracuse strung together consecutive defensive stops. Then, a sudden switch back to man defense was implemented once pinpoint interior passing found DJ Burns Jr. for a comfortable lefty hook shot to put NC State ahead 43-39.

It never got closer than that. Every time Syracuse missed a shot or committed a turnover, the Wolfpack seamlessly extended their advantage on the other end through a handful of beneficiaries. There was a Taylor left-wing 3 that dropped due to a lethargic close-out and an inability to garner the defensive board — a perfect example to encapsulate NC State’s whopping 20 second-chance points. Then a leaning, right-handed Horne floater which swished in after J.J. Starling coughed up the ball to Burns along the opposing sideline.

“We just had too many obstacles to overcome a team like NC State,” Autry said.

That Horne pickpocket — the one to generate an already inconceivable 53-41 scoreline — prompted Autry to reluctantly signal for a timeout. But then came the knockout blow.

Shifting gear from silent probing to an aggressive downhill drive around the right wing, Quadir Copeland burrowed into the taller Mohamed Diarra. He halted his progress suddenly once Taylor reached from the left wing to help, and wheeled back to face Chris Bell at the top of the key.

Lacking urgency and the awareness to notice a lurking Horne in keen anticipation, Copeland tossed a soft delivery destined for interception. Horne poked the ball loose and darted forward to collect before punching in an emphatic two-handed jam.

That was point No. 21. Ballgame.

“They just played tough defense. They were more connected than we were and it showed in multiple areas on the stat sheet. It showed in multiple areas on the court,” Starling said. “It’s hard to overcome things like that, especially in a win-or-go-home situation.”

And this loss will certainly take time for Syracuse’s young core to overcome. Postgame, players dismissed curiosity surrounding the transfer portal, or a potential season-lengthening National Invite Tournament bid acceptance.

For now, it’s a painful but necessary look back at Wednesday’s ever-growing snowball of a run which abruptly dismissed the reality typically realized by most 20-win teams around the country.

No NCAA Tournament fun for SU. No Big Dance for the third season running.

“We try to fight to the end,” Maliq Brown said when asked about SU’s mindset on overcoming the 17-point deficit with just under 13 minutes left to play. “As for as the second half goes, we still fought to the end basically.”

Starling said he was surprised by how the Orange lost. The monumental 21-2 breakdown wasn’t how it should’ve gone. Gently rubbing his right ankle, hitched on an elevated platform in the locker room, he explained how Syracuse has the right plays, the unrivaled chemistry and a tight-knit bond between talented teammates exuding trust.

He cocked his head to the side and breathed out a heavy sigh of disappointment, seemingly still shell shocked.

“What can you do,” Starling said. “Can’t really get that back.”

Published on March 14, 2024 at 1:09 am

Contact Tyler: trschiff@syr.edu | @theTylerSchiff