Syracuse Survives “Immature” and “Unacceptable” Second Half to Hold Off Niagara 83-71

Normally you’d feel happy after a win, but that’s not the case for Syracuse Men’s basketball after toppling Niagara Thursday night. The orange won their fourth in a row, returned home in stride after two weeks on the road, and put on a defensive clinic with eight Steals and seven blocks. Well right before Christmas, Adrien Autry watched his team and how they carried themselves in the last few minutes and he acted like he found coal in his stocking

“We just finished a game the last four or five minutes was just it was unacceptable, you know, immature, immaturity showed. uh just let our foot let our foot off the gas and you know you just can’t do that so. I’m happy we won uh but I’m just I’m not happy how we finished this game up.

“We didn’t finish strong, a lot of that fault is on me a lot as a point guard and some of my plays as well so I mean not really we just know that we got a break coming up and we can come back at it.”

“Just disappointing the way we finished but you know we you got to grow from that and learn from that and I’m sure they will you know I don’t really have to say much to to all of these guys because these guys are all good players they all understand they’ve been playing high-level basketball um and they know you know so there was no need for me to go in there throwing chairs and doing any of that stuff they. They understand you know how we finish the game and I think they all agree I think you know when you talk to them, they’ll say the same thing.”

Whatever the mixed feelings may be for Syracuse, that W wraps up non-conference play, but it’s also not the end of the calendar year of 2023. There’s still one more contest at home against Pitt on Saturday, December 30th at noon. Before then, the players get more than a week off to decorate the tree, unwrap presents, maybe go caroling, but most importantly get some rest. Wishing you a merry Christmas, a belated happy Hanukkah, if you’re a college football fan, a happy bowl season, whatever you celebrate, and a happy New Year. I’m Jesse Cook, Citrus TV.