2013-03-02-dn-subasket7.zip
Syracuse forward C.J.Fair looks to pass during Saturday's game against Louisville at the Carrier Dome.
(Photo by Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com)
Syracuse, N.Y. — The Louisville Cardinals handed the Syracuse University men's basketball team its third straight loss, beating the Orange 58-53 in front of 31,173 fans at the Carrier Dome on Saturday.
Syracuse floundered down the stretch. The Orange took a 48-47 lead on C.J. Fair’s baseline jumper with 2:50 remaining, but Syracuse wouldn’t make another field goal until the final seconds of the game.
Louisville would score the game’s next seven points before Brandon Triche hit a pair of free throws with 16.4 seconds left. Luke Hancock hit the key shot, nailing a 3-pointer with 50 seconds left in the game to put the Cardinals ahead 51-48.
A 3-pointer from Fair brought Syracuse to within 56-53 with four seconds left, but Louisville’s Russ Smith hit a pair of free throws to seal the victory.
The loss dropped Syracuse, which has lost six of its last 10 games, to 22-7 for the season and 10-6 in the Big East. In first place in the Big East just over a week ago, Syracuse is now in a tie for fifth with Pittsburgh.
Louisville, the 10th-ranked team in the nation, improved to 24-5 and 12-4. The Cardinals avenged their Jan. 19 loss to Syracuse when Louisville was ranked No. 1 in the nation.
Fair finished with 19 points and six rebounds. James Southerland scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half, while Michael Carter-Williams added 11 points, seven boards and six assists.
Smith led Louisville with 18 points. Gorgui Dieng had a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Hancock finished with 12 points.
Syracuse struggled offensively, making just 35 percent of its field-goal attempts. The Orange also turned the ball over 16 times. Triche was error-prone with seven turnovers.
Louisville led 23-19 at halftime after a brutal 20 minutes of basketball. Louisville made just nine out of 29 shots (31 percent) in the first half. Syracuse was even worse, making just nine of its 33 field-goal attempts — 27 percent.
Louisville went on an 11-2 run to turn a 38-36 deficit into a 46-40 lead with 5 minutes and 36 seconds left in the game.
Syracuse looked to be cooked, but Carter-Williams scored six consecutive points on a driving bank shot and four free throws to narrow the margin to 47-46 with 4:27 remaining.
Syracuse has two regular-season games remaining — the home finale against DePaul on Wednesday and then a date with Georgetown next Saturday.