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GREENSBORO, N.C. — Syracuse’s entered the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on Wednesday afternoon coming off of an up-and-down regular season. Matched up against Wake Forest in the second round, the two teams had met just four days earlier, with SU winning by nine at home.

The Orange have recorded only five wins in the conference tournament since joining the league 10 years ago, and have never advanced past the quarterfinal round. That streak didn’t change with Wednesday’s result. Daivien Williamson hit a 3-pointer from the right wing with 0.5 seconds left after Joe Girard III missed a jumper, and Wake Forest emerged with a 77-74 victory that likely ends the Orange’s season.

Judah Mintz, Girard and Jesse Edwards were all kept mostly under wraps, finishing with a combined 39 points, while Chris Bell and Benny Williams combined for 29 points. Wake Forest had six players finish with double digit points, led by Williamson’s 17.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (17-15, 10-10 ACC) buzzer-beating loss against Wake Forest (19-13, 10-10 ACC):

Two new scorers emerge

When asked on Saturday how Syracuse could put together a run in Greensboro, head coach Jim Boeheim said active defense was important, but so was getting a fourth scoring option to emerge. Girard, Mintz and Edwards have carried the brunt of the offensive load for the Orange this season, and SU has gotten little from its forwards throughout the season. Boeheim pointed specifically to Bell as someone who’s played well in practice, though his hot shooting hasn’t carried into games.

On Wednesday, Bell became a factor, drilling two 3s from the left corner and converting a layup inside. But it was Williams who emerged as a primary offensive threat — Bell finished with 11 points on 4-for-10 shooting.

Williams splashed a second chance 3-pointer from the right wing, and moments later, hit another one from the right wing to put Syracuse up eight. As Williams got back on defense, he let out a big yell and smacked his hands together. He led SU with 10 first half points.

In the second half, Williams tied the game at 60 with a three-point play after driving. He missed his initial shot but pounced on the rebound before finishing. Williams’ 18 points were his second most in a game this season.

The zone remains active

Syracuse allowed its fewest points since its win in January over Georgia Tech on Saturday, limiting Wake Forest to shooting an abysmal 25% from beyond the arc. The Demon Deacons turned the ball over 16 times, with Mintz, Edwards and Maliq Brown combining for 11 steals. SU was able to jump into passing lanes, and Boeheim said Edwards did a good job denying the high post when WF tried to force the ball there to start its offense.

That active defense continued Wednesday, with Edwards jumping in front of two passes to the elbow for steals, and Girard denying a pass inside to kickstart a transition opportunity. Late in the first half, Williams ripped the ball away from Andrew Carr, which Quadir Copeland jumped on.

But in the second half, Wake Forest was able to beat the zone by moving quickly in transition, and fired off quick 3s. The Demon Deacons hit six in the second half, including Williamson’s final one, and used the 3-ball to take a double-digit lead minutes after halftime.

Top three scorers mostly limited

Head coach Steve Forbes said the Demon Deacons’ primary focus was to limit Edwards. They doubled him on the catch, usually forcing him to pick up his dribble and pass back out. The center also picked up two early first half fouls, briefly relegating him to the bench while Brown took his place in the zone. Edwards returned after just two minutes, though, and attacked the double teams harder. He notched one bucket after quickly moving to his left shoulder and throwing a shot off the backboard and in before the double team could arrive.

Still, Edwards was held to just eight field goal attempts. He posterized Carr a few minutes into the second half, and later, Edwards set a hard screen and rolled off it for a lay-in, and then got deep position to finish a possession later.

Mintz, meanwhile, hunted his shot throughout the game, but was unable to find efficient offense, finishing with 18 points on 7-for-21 shooting. He settled for several jump shots — a majority of which were heavily contested — and uncharacteristically strayed away from driving to the rim. The freshman air-balled a midrange jumper with time running out in the first half, and missed an open layup midway through the second half. Mintz covered his face with his hands as he ran back on defense, only to watch Williamson drill a 3 from the left wing that made the score 54-42 Wake Forest.

With less than two minutes left, Mintz did drive — and finish — to cut Wake Forest’s lead to 72-71. A possession later, the guard fed Williams for a clutch 3 that put Syracuse up by two. Mintz tore his jersey in half after Williamson’s game-winning 3-pointer.

Second-half dry spell leads to tight finish

Syracuse went scoreless for a three minute period early in the second half, allowing Wake Forest to take a 13-point lead. At one point, the Orange missed 12 straight from the field, and WF took advantage with a 19-2 run before Mintz hit a 3-pointer.

Mintz and Copeland both missed layups inside that they usually finish, and Williams had one 3-pointer go halfway down before spitting out. Then, Williams made a perfect pass upcourt to a streaking Edwards, but his layup rolled off the rim. Boeheim, again, pleaded for a foul to no avail.

But then came a 9-0 run, capped off by Girard sinking a 3 from the top of the arc. Wake Forest turned it over twice against SU’s full-court press, and missed 9-of-10 over one stretch. It was all rendered moot, however, when the game came down the stretch. Again, Syracuse was unable to finish. And on Wednesday, its season finished, too.

Published on March 8, 2023 at 2:35 pm

Contact Connor: csmith49@syr.edu | @csmith17_