BROOKLYN — When Oklahoma State’s Chris Harris Jr. trickled toward the left elbow — that very same left elbow — the pro-Syracuse crowd at the Barclays Center foresaw what came next. A collective sigh echoed throughout the arena as the shot from the same spot he had hit two earlier, with that same arc that hung in the air for multiple seconds swished through the hoop and stalled every SU player on the floor before they went to the locker room.

The way in which that play developed, the type of shot it led to was the same way in which Syracuse clawed back from an 11-2 deficit earlier in the game. All season long, the 3-pointer had been SU’s most formidable threat. But as the Orange (4-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) went into the intermission ahead of an eventual 86-72 loss, an Oklahoma State (6-0) team that normally shoots just 30% had shot it better.

“We knew they had some shooters, but that’s kind of what happens in a zone sometimes,” Joe Girard III said. ”If you miss assignments, you miss spots, there’s going to be guys who are left open.”

Syracuse held the 3-point advantage on both sides of the ball before the game. The Orange shot 33% on their 3-pointers this year and held opponents to 23.9% on its attempts from beyond the arc. Oklahoma State also defended the 3-ball well, holding opponents to 25.7% shooting from beyond the 3-point arc. Girard noted earlier in the season SU will never “live and die” by the 3-point shot, but no matter the opponent SU has remained candid about its infatuation with 3-point shooting. 

Sloppy play had forced the Orange into an early hole, but Syracuse worked itself back. Girard’s slow walks up the court sped up when he said he realized tight passes and quick dribble moves were a better option. SU’s defensive stops turned to baskets. Perimeter passing got Syracuse the shots it wanted, and the Orange converted.

After working the ball several times to the inside and around the perimeter, Elijah Hughes caught the ball in the corner and crouched down as an Oklahoma State defender came flying in. He looked off the defender over his shoulder, and leaned in toward the defender’s body. His awkward release on a 3-pointer converted and created a 4-point play that put Syracuse up by five points. Hughes turned and held out a subtle pumped fist as the Orange looked to firmly take control of the pace of the game.

But then Oklahoma State’s shots started to fall. Harris Jr. threw up a high-arching shot from way out beyond the arc and swished it. Then he hit another from the same spot. SU countered with long tries of its own: Girard pulled up flat-footed multiple feet beyond the line, SU’s foul-troubled frontcourt replacement Robert Braswell hit a corner strike and Buddy Boeheim took multiple long-range 3s. It led to more misses than makes, and more mishaps on the defensive end as SU’s players focus calcified on the offensive misfires even as it opened up a press defense.

“When you press, you’re going to give up that three,” SU head coach Jim Boeheim said. “We had to press.”

Wednesday’s game promised to be a challenge of which would give — Syracuse’s superior shooting or Oklahoma State’s superior defense of it — but instead quickly turned into a long-range shooting clinic from the Cowboys. Syracuse went in the other direction and shot just 26%. 

But Hughes, with the Orange behind him, kept hoisting 3-pointers. He stepped into a 3-pointer from the top of the key to cut the lead to single digits. He drew contact on a shot from the corner again. Girard and Buddy missed 12 3’s alone. When the 3-pointers fell, the momentum always seemed to swing back SU’s way. But each miss further led to more points on the other end for Oklahoma State. When OSU abandoned the 3-pointer and found easier shots on the inside, Syracuse couldn’t let go of the only thing that could get it back into the game. 

“That’s what we do best: We shoot,” Buddy said. “And our teammates believe in us. They tell us to keep shooting, they’re going to fall. Some nights they’re not going to. It’s fine.”

Down 17 with just over six minutes to play in the game, Buddy’s 3-point shot from the right elbow — that very same elbow — clanked off the front rim, then fell off the back. As he’d done the four long-range misses prior, Buddy clapped his hands together once and set up at the top of Syracuse’s zone. He put his hands on his knees. Oklahoma State’s offense came back down the floor to pour it on.

Published on November 27, 2019 at 9:51 pm

Contact Michael: mmcclear@syr.edu | @MikeJMcCleary