No. 10 Duke (22-6) took its seven-game win streak into the Carrier Dome and left it there. Syracuse forward Tyler Lydon pulled down the most important rebound of the night and found graduate transfer Andrew White who shoveled a pass to guard John Gillon outside of the three-point line, center court at the buzzer.
Bang.
Gillon banked home a game-winning three-pointer as Syracuse (17-12) took down the Blue Devils 78-75 in the Carrier Dome. Tonight’s game was huge for an Orange team with three straight losses, leaving Syracuse hanging on the back end of the NCAA Tournament bubble.
“Just being able to play in this game, to play against Duke, its like a dream come true for me,” said Gillon. “I am just glad I could play like that on that stage.”
The Colorado State transfer not only set the stage for himself, but also for his teammates. Four out of Syracuse’s five starters scored in double-digits, as the six-foot graduate transfer led the way with 26 points and six assists and one big bucket.
The story of the night was rebounds. Syracuse was out rebounded by Duke 33-26, but came away with the most important rebound of the night.
The Blue Devils and the Orange made men’s Division I history when Head Coaches Jim Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski became the first coaches with more than 1,000 wins to face each other.
The first half was all Blue Devil Jayson Tatum, as the freshman finished the first 20 minutes with a double-double, complete with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Syracuse went into the half down eight, 33-25.
Tatum would only score five in the second half, including a highlight reel alley-oop. He finished the game with 19 points, 13 rebounds and six dimes.
ACC Player of the Year candidate Luke Kennard finished the night with 23 points on 8-17 from the field, hitting 5 threes in the game. Junior Grayson Allen finished with just 8 points on 2-11 from the field. The crowd spent most of the night booing him whenever he touched the ball.
The second half was a Gillon story. The guard hit bucket after bucket, along with teammate Taurean Thompson and Tyler Lydon, to keep the game close. Thompson hit the tying bucket with 37 seconds to play. Luke Kennard missed a three ball, that led to Gillon's heroics at the buzzer.
“This team fights. They do what they can to come back. They keep battling.” Coach Boehiem said after the game.
Syracuse finds itself on the cusp of the Big Dance, as ESPN’s Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has them as the last four in, if they can win two more conference games.
They earned one of those wins tonight.
The Orange tries to find that second win when it takes on Louisville Sunday afternoon at 2:00 at the KFC Yum! Center in Kentucky.
Jim Boeheim joins ESPN tonight at 1:30 to speak with Andy Katz about tonights win and Syracuse’s tournament hopes.