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Syracuse erased a 17-point deficit in its comeback victory over Notre Dame in its last game.

After Markus Burton scored 20 points in the first 12 minutes, the Orange rallied back, led by J.J. Starling’s team-high 21 points. SU shot 43.3% from the field in the second half, helping it win by a comfortable eight points.

However, SU’s first-half struggles continued against Clemson, as it trailed by 19 points at halftime. The Orange were unable to put a dent in their deficit in the second half, falling to the Tigers, who were led by Chase Hunter’s 23 points.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (9-10, 3-5 Atlantic Coast) 86-72 loss to Clemson (16-4, 8-1 Atlantic Coast):

Starling catches fire early

Starling has shown why he’s crucial to Syracuse’s success in recent games. The Orange have won three of their last four contests, and Starling has tallied 20 or more points in each win.

After scoring just five points in the first half against Notre Dame, Starling didn’t waste any time waiting to tack on against Clemson. On SU’s second possession, he nailed a pull-up jumper on the right side. Over the next few possessions, Starling continued to call his own number.

Starling hit a 3 and two more jumpers to bring his tally to nine points in the first five minutes. His hot shooting helped the Orange to a 12-9 lead. When Clemson responded with a 6-2 run to take its first lead of the game, Starling answered. He hit another jumper, this time from the left side, giving him a 5-of-5 start from the field.

Though, over the next few possessions, SU began turning the ball over and got away from Starling. With Starling taking fewer shots, Clemson took advantage and took a 36-23 lead. Despite SU’s leading scorer tallying 25 points in the game, it wasn’t enough to stop the Tigers.

1st-half struggles continue

Similar to its first half against Notre Dame, Syracuse found itself in an early hole. After Starling’s hot shooting to start, Clemson caught up and took the lead behind its own strong shooting.

Hunter and Del Jones were the catalysts for the Tigers, helping them to a 16-4 run midway through the first half. Clemson forced Syracuse into nine first-half turnovers, turning them into 14 points.

On two straight possessions, Syracuse was caught looking at an open Hunter. After a giveaway by Starling, Jaeden Zackery dished it to Hunter for a transition 3. Then, the Tigers forced the Orange into another turnover, and Hunter converted his fourth triple of the half.

Offensively, Syracuse was held scoreless for the final 4:54 minutes of the first half as Clemson took a 48-29 lead into halftime. This contest marked the third straight game SU trailed by nine or more going into halftime.

Paint discrepancy

Clemson built its 19-point halftime lead by outscoring Syracuse 26-6 in the paint. Hunter and Jones got to the rim with ease, and center Viktor Lakhin scored inside on two straight possessions midway through the first half.

With the Tigers leading 40-29, Eddie Lampkin Jr. looked to respond by working down low, but he was rejected by Lakhin. Clemson collected the board and Jake Heidbreder converted a layup on the other end.

Early in the second half, the Tigers went back to what propelled their success in the first half. Less than a minute into the second frame, Lakhin worked against Lampkin and drew a foul in the paint to get to the free throw line.

Then, Ian Schieffelin started to take charge under the rim. Clemson found Schieffelin in the paint, where he was guarded by Starling, and Schieffelin used a spin move before throwing down a dunk.

Absence of steals

After Syracuse tallied nine steals in its win over Notre Dame, it failed to take the ball away at a high rate against Clemson. The Orange forced just two turnovers in the first half and fell behind because of it.

Against the Fighting Irish, Lampkin and Starling each collected season-highs in takeaways, with three and two, respectively. In the second half against the Fighting Irish, a steal by Lucas Taylor led to a quick 3 by Starling, which gave the Orange momentum.

But besides that instance, SU couldn’t generate momentum toward a comeback with its defense. In the second half, Jyáre Davis and Jaquan Carlos swiped the ball away, but it didn’t lead to any offense.

Syracuse shot at high rates from the field, but it didn’t matter. Its defense fell flat and couldn’t contain Clemson.

Published on January 22, 2025 at 9:09 pm

Contact Timmy at: tswilcox@syr.edu | @TimmyWilcox32