DURHAM, N.C. – It took 44 years to happen.

Since Duke Indoor Stadium was renamed in 1972, no visitor has ever done in Cameron Indoor what Tyler Roberson did.

The junior asserted his way to a visitor-record 20 rebounds on Monday night against Duke, dominating the glass for a Syracuse team that needed it. He had 16 boards with 16 minutes left in the game and went punch-for-punch with Duke’s Marshall Plumlee in the trenches to keep SU within reach before squeaking ahead. Twelve of Roberson’s boards came on the offensive glass, which tied Billy Owens’ school record set back in 1990, and the junior snuck in 14 points during Syracuse’s (13-7, 3-4 Atlantic Coast) 64-62 win over the Blue Devils (14-5, 4-3).

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“Roberson was unbelievable on the backboards,” SU head coach Jim Boeheim said. “I mean he went to get it, he went after it.”

Roberson’s most emphatic play came with one hand instead of the two he secured every rebound with. Soaring through the air, he flushed a left-handed alley-oop in the first half. It set the tone for a dominating performance from the big man, who logged his third double-double in as many games.

He accounted for more than one-third of Syracuse’s first-half rebounds, salvaging a frontcourt that was otherwise bullied by Plumlee. Each time a Duke miss clanked off the back rim and arced into the air, Roberson’s outstretched arms were in the vicinity. Few of his rebounds came cleanly, but his fingertips provided second and third-chance opportunities.

When Mike Hopkins was serving as interim head coach, he hoped for a “plugged-in” Roberson. Syracuse didn’t know what it was getting on a game-to-game basis from the junior. Those questions have now been put to rest.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with being plugged in,” Roberson said. “Lately I’ve been playing more consistently.”

 

In the first four minutes of the second half, Roberson hauled in seven more rebounds. One waiting on the weak side before skying past Plumlee. One maneuvering his way from the corner to the paint, snatching a Trevor Cooney miss. Another with his feet on the ground and nobody in the area.

Since the 2012-2013 season, only twice has a Syracuse player recorded double-digit offensive rebounds. Once last year against Louisiana Tech. Once Monday night. Both by Roberson.

His most important offensive rebound may have come with seven minutes left and teams seemingly trading baskets on every possession. Roberson tipped the ball out past the 3-point line and fell to his stomach. With both palms on the court, he watched at shoe level as the ball fell to the hands of Trevor Cooney, who sunk a 3 to put Syracuse up five.

It gave Syracuse a lead that shrunk but never disappeared. Twice Duke scored in the paint to cut into the lead down the stretch. But twice, Roberson responded with a contested layup of his own off a pick-and-roll.

Malachi Richardson quickly reeled off the number of rebounds Roberson had after the game, but asked about how many points he had.

“Fourteen,” one reporter said.

“Fourteen and 20,” Richardson said, “Those are great numbers.”

On a night where he tied for the team lead in points, it went almost unnoticed. Syracuse’s best rebounder was just that, and what was once hoped for has now become expected.

Published on January 18, 2016 at 11:16 pm

Contact Matt: mcschnei@syr.edu | @matt_schneidman