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An impressive five-game Syracuse win streak ended at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Jan. 2. Despite playing then-No. 14 Duke to a 35-33 halftime deficit, SU allowed a season-worst 26 points off of 17 turnovers in an 86-66 defeat.

Hosting Boston College on Wednesday night, the challenge was not to let the prior 20-point loss snowball. Against an equally middling Atlantic Coast Conference side, a victory over the Eagles would provide the necessary momentum going into Syracuse’s next game: No. 7 North Carolina.

So, from tip-off, the Orange dominated. They built a quick 8-0 lead and held Boston College to a season-low 22 points at halftime. Chris Bell found his stride again by recording a game-best 20 points while Maliq Brown and Judah Mintz tacked on 19 and 10, respectively, to cap off the Orange’s bounce-back victory.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (10-4, 1-2 ACC) 69-59 win versus Boston College (10-4, 1-2 ACC):

Mintz sits to start, McLeod out, but backups shine

Mintz entered Syracuse’s matchup with Boston College averaging a team-high 19.1 points. He’s on the watch-list for the Cousy and Wooden Awards, as well as the Naismith Trophy — given to college basketball’s best player. But against BC, for reasons unbeknownst, head coach Adrian Autry didn’t start Mintz.

The sudden change prior to tip-off followed news that SU’s 7-foot-4 center Naheem McLeod was ruled out indefinitely with an undisclosed right-foot injury. Like Mintz, McLeod had started all 14 contests prior to playing the Eagles.

So in their places stepped in Brown and Quadir Copeland, two backup weapons that had proven their reliability to Autry. Both recently totaled career-highs as well with Copeland notching 22 points against Pittsburgh on Dec. 30 and Brown tallying 26 at Duke. The pair didn’t skip a beat Wednesday evening.

From the jump, Brown was everywhere on either end. Tasked with guarding the ACC’s reigning Most Improved Player in Quinten Post, Brown picked up a couple steals and rolled aggressively to the rim for a few comfortable finishes. Post, who averages a team-best 18.1 points per game, didn’t score his first points until the second half.

Copeland, meanwhile, hounded BC’s second-leading scorer Claudell Harris Jr. consistently around the perimeter. On one play, he tied Harris Jr. up for a jump-ball which granted Syracuse possession. On another, he faked out Post on a downhill drive before spinning a shot off the backboard to grow an early SU lead.

Harris Jr. and Post struggle

The undisputed top-two players for Boston College in 2023-24 so far, Harris Jr. and Post combine to average around 33 points per game this season. Yet, in the JMA Wireless Dome Wednesday, the forward-guard tandem only mustered a joint 10 at halftime, with all 10 belonging to Harris Jr..

The obvious focal point of Autry’s aggressive man-to-man defense, Brown did well to contain Post for the opening 20 minutes but Harris Jr. started to find his rhythm after a cold start.

Entering the break, the Georgia Southern transfer was 2-for-5 from 3 and had played a pivotal role in cutting into a once-19-point Syracuse lead. Brandishing an assortment of tools from pull-up midrange jumpers to acrobatic layups, Harris Jr. willed the Eagles within 32-22 before the start of the second half.

After Brown collided with Post down low, which cleared out space for an uncontested Justin Taylor lay-in, BC’s big-man hobbled toward the sideline with around 13:24 remaining. He was still without a point and committed six turnovers — a product of Brown’s active hands and quick feet around the high-post. Then, with around two minutes left in Wednesday’s contest, he fouled out.

Though Harris Jr.f was one of Boston College’s few bright spots in the first half, head coach Earl Grant opted to sit his point guard through much of the team’s second-half comeback.

Ringing the Bell

Bell recorded a career-high 25 points in Syracuse’s 79-75 win over Colgate on Nov. 14, 2023. But he’s struggled since. For Bell, what followed his dazzling display against the Raiders was a mediocre showing at the AllState Maui Invitational. Then, glimpses of excellent perimeter shooting would emerge — none long enough to excuse chalking single-digit points through SU’s last five contests.

But at the break in Syracuse’s fourth league game hosting Boston College, Bell had registered a game-best 12 points. Six of said total arrived off of spot-up, 3-point opportunities — the chances he’s looked most comfortable taking this year. Another four came off of breakaway dunks.

Bell began the second half with a catch-and-shoot 3-ball off of an inbounds play to give Syracuse a 37-24 advantage. He finished with a game-high 20 in his highest scoring performance in well over a month.

Furious Eagles’ comeback comes up short

Boston College’s Mason Madsen peeled off of an Armani Mighty screen and canned a 3 from the right wing for his third triple. Madsen’s make put BC within 48-49. Then, Prince Aligbe’s lefty layup gave the Eagles their first lead of the ballgame, 50-49.

From down 19 to trailing by 10 at halftime, the visitors never looked out of it. Despite Post’s goose egg on the scoresheet, Boston College’s role players kept it competitive. Off of a career-high 30 points at Georgia Tech on Jan. 6, Devin McGlockton’s strong inside play amounted to 15 points. Aligbe totaled 10 and Chas Kelley III registered a couple of key baskets.

Yet, down the stretch, SU’s high-octane offense proved to be too much. Copeland took over as the team’s primary distributor and fed Brown for a series of comfortable, game-clinching finishes inside.

Published on January 10, 2024 at 11:31 pm

Contact Tyler: trschiff@syr.edu | @theTylerSchiff