Syracuse topped California, 95-73, in the first game of the night to advance to the championship game of the 2K Sports Classic on Friday night.
For more on this game, read here!
Final Notes
Syracuse played an inspired second half and the outcome was never really in doubt. Syracuse beat Cal, 95-73, and will play the winner of the North Carolina-Ohio State game.
Syracuse's length and athleticism really was the key in this game. Syracuse outscored Cal 14-2 in transition and found many easy opportunities to score. The Orange shot 57 percent from the floor compared to Cal, which shot only 40 percent.
Scoop Jardine had a big game coming off the bench for the Orange, scoring a team-high 22 points. He called this performance on this stage a "dream come true." Wes Johnson added 17 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks, and his skill set brings a whole new element to this Syracuse team.
Jerome Randle led Cal with 25 points, including nailing five 3-pointers. Jamal Boykin scored 14 points despite some foul trouble and Patrick Christopher added 12.
What I learned about Syracuse
Syracuse is much better than it showed against Le Moyne earlier in the year, and it will once again be a force in the Big East. The Orange are long, they're athletic, and they're well-suited for Syracuse's trademark 2-3 zone.
Johnson is an incredible addition to this squad. He gives the Orange somebody who can score from any where on the court, grab rebounds and play defense. People wondered where the scoring would come from this year for the Orange - Johnson is one of the answers.
What I learned about California
California is a very good team and played valiantly in what was essentially a home game for Syracuse. It has a lot of players that can score, but if the injury to Theo Robertson is serious, that would be a big blow to the Bears. Robertson was seen on the sideline with a boot on one of his feet. Robertson will not play in the consolation game against Ohio State.
I also learned to love Randle. Randle can do it all and every time he touches the ball, something special can happen. He is very quick and explosive with the ball and he can penetrate with the best of them. He also has excellent range. He is regarded as one of the top guards in the nation - and he validated that tonight.
Check back later for more!
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Halftime Notes
We're at halftime and Syracuse leads 44-33. Syracuse has been in control for most of the first half, but California has just the kind of shooters that can get it back in this game in a hurry.
The biggest story here is that the Orange have been the aggressors. They have been more active in transition and are manufacturing easy looks in the paint. They drew 10 fouls, compared to just five from California. The Orange have not made the Bears pay, however, as they have shot just 10-for-19 from the line.
Speaking of fouls, Cal's leading rebounder Jamal Boykin picked up two fouls in the first few minutes and that has hurt Cal in the post. Cal center Markhuri Sanders-Frison also has three fouls.
Syracuse has been solid in the post and forwards Wesley Johnson and Rick Jackson have combined for 18 points. Syracuse's leading scoring coming into the game, Arinze Onuaku, has been held to just three points.
The biggest sparkplug for the Orange has been Scoop Jardine, who is leading the Orange with 13 points, including a 3-pointer with under a minute to go in the half that drew an echo of "Scooooop" cheers from this pro-Syracuse crowd.
Cal's Jerome Randle leads all scorers with 14 points. The silky-smooth point guard struggled to find his shot early, but he nailed three buckets from behind the arc in the first half, and the Bears will need more of the same to get back in this game. At times, they seemed reliant on their perimeter jumpers, and they should look to be more aggressive in the second half.
It looked for a little that Syracuse could blow the game wide open, but Cal fought back. An 11-point deificit is by no means insurmountable, especially when you have Randle and Patrick Christopher, who was uncharacteristically held to only four first-half points.
Keys for each team:
Syracuse
-Stay agressive
-Make free throws
-Contain Randle and Christopher
California
-Don't settle for perimiter jumpers
-Stay out of foul trouble
-Silence the crowd early
Second half is about to begin. I'll be back at the end of the game for recap.
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-Under seven minutes to go and Syracuse is still rolling. Cal's Jerome Randle and Syracuse's Wesley Johnson just traded 3-point baskets, but Syracuse still leads 33-21.
-After a little bit of a slow start, the Orange have been able to get some easy looks and some transition points. We're just under 13 minutes to play in the first half and Syracuse has a 17-11 lead.
-We're about to get underway here in the first semifinal game of the night. As expected, a pro-Syracuse crowd has showed up to cheer the Orange.
Syracuse played an inspired second half and the outcome was never really in doubt. Syracuse beat Cal, 95-73, and will play the winner of the North Carolina-Ohio State game.
Syracuse's length and athleticism really was the key in this game. Syracuse outscored Cal 14-2 in transition and found many easy opportunities to score. The Orange shot 57 percent from the floor compared to Cal, which shot only 40 percent.
Scoop Jardine had a big game coming off the bench for the Orange, scoring a team-high 22 points. He called this performance on this stage a "dream come true." Wes Johnson added 17 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks, and his skill set brings a whole new element to this Syracuse team.
Jerome Randle led Cal with 25 points, including nailing five 3-pointers. Jamal Boykin scored 14 points despite some foul trouble and Patrick Christopher added 12.
What I learned about Syracuse
Syracuse is much better than it showed against Le Moyne earlier in the year, and it will once again be a force in the Big East. The Orange are long, they're athletic, and they're well-suited for Syracuse's trademark 2-3 zone.
Johnson is an incredible addition to this squad. He gives the Orange somebody who can score from any where on the court, grab rebounds and play defense. People wondered where the scoring would come from this year for the Orange - Johnson is one of the answers.
What I learned about California
California is a very good team and played valiantly in what was essentially a home game for Syracuse. It has a lot of players that can score, but if the injury to Theo Robertson is serious, that would be a big blow to the Bears. Robertson was seen on the sideline with a boot on one of his feet. Robertson will not play in the consolation game against Ohio State.
I also learned to love Randle. Randle can do it all and every time he touches the ball, something special can happen. He is very quick and explosive with the ball and he can penetrate with the best of them. He also has excellent range. He is regarded as one of the top guards in the nation - and he validated that tonight.
Check back later for more!
---
Halftime Notes
We're at halftime and Syracuse leads 44-33. Syracuse has been in control for most of the first half, but California has just the kind of shooters that can get it back in this game in a hurry.
The biggest story here is that the Orange have been the aggressors. They have been more active in transition and are manufacturing easy looks in the paint. They drew 10 fouls, compared to just five from California. The Orange have not made the Bears pay, however, as they have shot just 10-for-19 from the line.
Speaking of fouls, Cal's leading rebounder Jamal Boykin picked up two fouls in the first few minutes and that has hurt Cal in the post. Cal center Markhuri Sanders-Frison also has three fouls.
Syracuse has been solid in the post and forwards Wesley Johnson and Rick Jackson have combined for 18 points. Syracuse's leading scoring coming into the game, Arinze Onuaku, has been held to just three points.
The biggest sparkplug for the Orange has been Scoop Jardine, who is leading the Orange with 13 points, including a 3-pointer with under a minute to go in the half that drew an echo of "Scooooop" cheers from this pro-Syracuse crowd.
Cal's Jerome Randle leads all scorers with 14 points. The silky-smooth point guard struggled to find his shot early, but he nailed three buckets from behind the arc in the first half, and the Bears will need more of the same to get back in this game. At times, they seemed reliant on their perimeter jumpers, and they should look to be more aggressive in the second half.
It looked for a little that Syracuse could blow the game wide open, but Cal fought back. An 11-point deificit is by no means insurmountable, especially when you have Randle and Patrick Christopher, who was uncharacteristically held to only four first-half points.
Keys for each team:
Syracuse
-Stay agressive
-Make free throws
-Contain Randle and Christopher
California
-Don't settle for perimiter jumpers
-Stay out of foul trouble
-Silence the crowd early
Second half is about to begin. I'll be back at the end of the game for recap.
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-Under seven minutes to go and Syracuse is still rolling. Cal's Jerome Randle and Syracuse's Wesley Johnson just traded 3-point baskets, but Syracuse still leads 33-21.
-After a little bit of a slow start, the Orange have been able to get some easy looks and some transition points. We're just under 13 minutes to play in the first half and Syracuse has a 17-11 lead.
-We're about to get underway here in the first semifinal game of the night. As expected, a pro-Syracuse crowd has showed up to cheer the Orange.
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