Photo Credit: Nam Y. Huh/AP
It was supposed to be a bad year for Jim Boeheim and the Orange, however, the team has just made history. Syracuse became the first number ten seeded team to advance to the Final Four after defeating the number one seed Virginia, 68-62. The team trailed for most of the game, but went on a spectacular 21-2 run late in the second half. The run, led by freshman Malachi Richardson who scored 14 of those 21 points, gave the Orange a 64-58 lead with just over three minutes remaining.
Virginia looked ready to join Villanova and Oklahoma in the Final Four, leading 35-21 at halftime. Cavaliers point guard London Perrantes was on fire in the first half, scoring 15 points going 5-for-8 from the three-point line. Perrantes finished with 18 points, illustrating one of the problems for the Cavs. Syracuse was able to make a run in the second half by making Virginia play at a faster tempo and making the Cavs pay for their turnovers.
The Orange were counted out after missing last year’s tournament on a self-imposed postseason ban. This came after an investigation into the school’s athletic department in which multiple scholarships were taken away, 108 wins were vacated, and head coach Jim Boeheim was suspended for nine games this season. The investigation found that players may have received “extra benefits”, specifically former player Fab Melo’s academic eligibility during his time on the team. That all seems to be a distant memory for Boeheim and his team who called this win “one of the best comebacks” he ever had the chance to coach.
