The Daily OrangeOUT COLD: Syracuse knocked out of NCAA Tournament after poor shooting night against Oklahoma
By Jared Diamond
Posted: 3/27/09, 9:36 PM EST Section: Sports
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Early on, Paul Harris sensed the game, and Syracuse's season, was starting to slip away. The shooters who had propelled Syracuse this far had nothing. The missed shots continued to pile up.
Yet, somehow, he believed the shots would eventually fall, that Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins would somehow rediscover their stroke before it was too late. At least, he hoped so. The Orange has relied on the 3-point shot all season. There was nothing else he could do but sit back and hope.
But they never turned it around. In turn, Oklahoma demolished Syracuse here at FedExForum Friday night, 84-71, ending the Orange's season in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
SU head coach Jim Boeheim ends the year with 799 career wins. No. 800 will have to wait.
"I can't say Andy Rautins shouldn't be shooting those shots because we've been living and dying with Andy and Eric, and they just missed open shots," Harris said.
The Orange missed its first 11 3-point attempts and finished the game 7-of-24 from deep. In the first half alone, Syracuse went 0-for-10. Devendorf and Rautins, who have been so crucial these past three weeks, went 5-of-17. Most of the makes were after the game had been decided.
Conversely, the Sooners shot an incredible 56.1 percent from the floor, including 9-of-20 (45 percent) from deep. Forward Blake Griffin, widely considered the best player in the country, lived up to the hype by compiling a game-high 30 points and 14 rebounds. Guard Tony Crocker was equally impressive, scoring 28 points and hitting six 3's. Coming into the game, Crocker had hit one of his last 17 3-point attempts.
Jonny Flynn led the way for Syracuse with 22 points and six assists in 39 minutes of action, despite a back injury that left him hobbling for the entire second half. With 53 seconds remaining before halftime, Griffin plowed into Flynn, knocking him on his back. For the rest of the game, Flynn was visibly grimacing and holding his back in pain.
Yet, somehow, he believed the shots would eventually fall, that Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins would somehow rediscover their stroke before it was too late. At least, he hoped so. The Orange has relied on the 3-point shot all season. There was nothing else he could do but sit back and hope.
But they never turned it around. In turn, Oklahoma demolished Syracuse here at FedExForum Friday night, 84-71, ending the Orange's season in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
SU head coach Jim Boeheim ends the year with 799 career wins. No. 800 will have to wait.
"I can't say Andy Rautins shouldn't be shooting those shots because we've been living and dying with Andy and Eric, and they just missed open shots," Harris said.
The Orange missed its first 11 3-point attempts and finished the game 7-of-24 from deep. In the first half alone, Syracuse went 0-for-10. Devendorf and Rautins, who have been so crucial these past three weeks, went 5-of-17. Most of the makes were after the game had been decided.
Conversely, the Sooners shot an incredible 56.1 percent from the floor, including 9-of-20 (45 percent) from deep. Forward Blake Griffin, widely considered the best player in the country, lived up to the hype by compiling a game-high 30 points and 14 rebounds. Guard Tony Crocker was equally impressive, scoring 28 points and hitting six 3's. Coming into the game, Crocker had hit one of his last 17 3-point attempts.
Jonny Flynn led the way for Syracuse with 22 points and six assists in 39 minutes of action, despite a back injury that left him hobbling for the entire second half. With 53 seconds remaining before halftime, Griffin plowed into Flynn, knocking him on his back. For the rest of the game, Flynn was visibly grimacing and holding his back in pain.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 4
AP
posted 3/28/09 @ 12:30 PM EST
Isn't the correct AP style just Memphis for your dateline?
Tisk, tisk.
Pat Brennan
posted 3/28/09 @ 3:46 PM EST
Jonny Flynn you are the man! You are the winner of the Pat Brennan- GMAC Award. The rest of the team and coach are banished to summer school to adjust their zone and individual games such that we go all the way next year. (Continued…)
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