Syracuse stuns Florida State, 82-72

By Brianna Adams SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse’s (13-9, 5-4) struggles against ranked opponents diminished after a dominant victory over no. 6 Florida State (18-4, 6-3).

Right out the gate, the Orange came out fighting against the Seminoles. The defensive difficulties the team has faced all season disappeared as they out-rebounded Florida State 25 to 20 in just the first half. Lydon was a big part of stopping the Seminoles taking 11 rebounds converting most into points.

“It was the best first half we’ve had in a long time, and we hung tough at the end.” Coach Jim Boeheim said.

Where Florida State struggled to score, Syracuse capitalized on these flaws. From the help of guard Andrew White III, Syracuse went on a 31-12 run in the first half to lead into halftime 44-26. White was key in this victory as he led the Orange scoring 24 points and getting 9 boards. He was one of four Orange players to finish in double digits.

This is Florida State’s second straight upset on the road. This past Wednesday, the Seminoles were rolled over by Georgia Tech 78-56. Florida State could not seem to figure out the Syracuse zone in the first half with star player Jonathan Isaac only scoring three points in that half. Yet the second half, FSU came out blazing. Isaac finished the game with 19 points, 16 of those from the second half. Yet the closest FSU would come to a lead would be within just two points.

“We knew that they were going to throw a hard punch in that second half,” said White. “But we have some guys who were very poised down the stretch and were able to make plays for our team.”

The victory is the first win over a ranked opponent for the Orange this season. The win also improved Syracuse’s record in the Carrier Dome to 13-2. Boeheim’s squad will get another chance at that first road victory on Wednesday as they travel to Raleigh to face ACC opponent NC State.