NCAA Roundup – Syracuse Stuns Duke, Pittsburgh Upsets Florida, Kansas Barely Wins

The night behind us, was one of the most impressive since the start of this NCAA season. We saw two big favorites going down, one of them the No.1 seed, and a big derby where one side fell short to make another big sensation, missing the buzzer-beating game-winner.

So, in general, it was a fine night for all basketball fans.

Duke fans were left in disbelief at their Cameron Indoor Stadium at the end of a thrilling match in which their No.1 Blue Devils lost the game against the unseeded Syracuse Orange, after overtime, 91-95. Zion Williamson’s career-high 35 points and 10 rebounds weren’t enough.

🎥 Highlights | Syracuse at Duke pic.twitter.com/3EIXdl8fze

— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) January 15, 2019

Probably the No.1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft had a chance to give the lead to his team with 17 seconds until the game but missed his second free throw.

Orange was fantastic defensively, and their strategy which was focused on closing down the paint, and playing zone was working very good. Duke hit only 9 threes in 43 attempts.

They had a lot of troubles, as Cam Reddish skipped this game because of an illness, and Tre Jones had to go out after five minutes. That left Blue Devils without the proper backcourt depth which was felt immediately.

“When you get two guys hurt and injured, there is no game plan anymore,” Mike Krzyzewski stated after the game.

R.J. Barrett was following Williamson with 23 points, 16 boards and 9 assists, but with a very poor shooting percentage, 8 of 30, and only 4 of 17 from downtown. Jack White missed all of his 10 shots for three.

Meanwhile, Thys Battle kept pounding throughout the whole game, finishing it with 32 points. Elijah Hughes added 20.

Syracuse became just the second team in history to beat Duke at home when leading the poll. Other one is North Carolina.

Florida State Loses in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh (12-5) won against No.11 Florida State (13-4), 75-62, and made a huge surprise. Trey McGowens continued where he stopped last week when he set Panther’s scoring record for a freshman, 33 points against Louisville.

“I just feel like that’s how we like to play,” McGowens said. “We’ve got some competitors. That’s just what we like to do.”

With 30 points tonight, the youngster was leading the way for his team, and was an unstoppable force for the Seminoles who couldn’t find their rhythm. Believe it or not, they made just two three-pointers from 22 tries.

Big win for the Panthers at home! McGowens drops 30 points and @Pitt_MBB topples No. 11 Florida State 75-62. #ACCMBB

📸 Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports pic.twitter.com/D3Ku983nej

— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb) January 15, 2019

This was their third loss in the past 4 matches, and that is definitely going to push them down the poll.

Xavier Johnson, another freshman among Panthers, had 18 points, finishing perfect from the free throw line, 10 of 10. The home team had 46 free throws in this one.

The only one worth mentioning among the Seminoles was Trent Forrest with 19 points.

Jayhawks Edge Out Longhorns

No.7 Kansas Jayhawks survived Texas Longhorns, 80-78. Jase Febres had a chance to stun the Phog, but his buzzer-beating three didn’t go in, and the celebration among Jayhawks fans could begin. The guests were down 10 points seven and a half minutes before the end, but they managed to come back from the dead and make this match dramatic. With 2:29 to go, Longhorns leveled the score at 73-73, but in the end, they missed a triumph by short.

Lagerald Vick had a team-high for the hosts with 21 points, shooting 5 of 8 for three. Marcus Garrett finished with one point fewer, but his contribution on the defensive side of the court was huge.

👀 #KUbball 🆚 Texas 🔝 Plays ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/7CtDx0DJxk

— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) January 15, 2019

“He carried us in the first half when I was in foul trouble,” said the Jayhawks’ Dedric Lawson who added 17.

For the guests, Matt Coleman III scored 16 with 8 dimes and 4 rebounds, Jase Febres had 12. It is interesting that they had only 7 free throws in this contest, while on the other side, Kansas finished with 21.