PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — Malachi Richardson was getting an earful on the Syracuse bench not more than two minutes into the game. His first attempt to score, a drive into the teeth of the lengthy Connecticut defense had turned into an offensive foul.

One minute, 50 seconds in, Tyler Lydon was checking in for his freshman counterpart.

“That was my worst brand of basketball,” Richardson said of his first half, “and hopefully you’ll never see that again from me.”

Richardson finished with 13 points to go along with his six rebounds. He hit a couple big shots in the second half to spur Syracuse to a 79-76 win over No. 18 Connecticut in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis. But his first half was marred by three fouls, two turnovers and just 1-of-4 shooting from the field.

On the first play of the second half, he turned it over again. But when he hit a game-tying 3, seven minutes in, the tide seemed to turn.

“This was the first game (Richardson) really struggled, he really was struggling,” SU head coach Jim Boehiem said. “He made some bad plays. “I told him, ‘You’re have to go and get your opportunities.’ And he knocked down a couple big shots.”

His resurgence finished with a fadeaway 3 from the corner in the middle of a run where Syracuse hit three straight 3s. Two minutes later, he finished the run with another 3 from the wing to put the Orange up by seven.

The game ended with the ball in his hands and his resurgence done. After a Tyler Roberson offensive rebound, he passed the ball to Richardson, who heaved it all the way down court before celebrating SU’s biggest win of the young season.

“Today will just be one of those games that I’m glad we won,” Richardson said. “but I know I have to pick it up next time.”

Published on November 27, 2015 at 11:00 am

Contact Sam: sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3