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Syracuse Battles for ACC Tourney Spot Against Struggling Miami
With a month left in the regular season, Syracuse is fighting for an ACC tournament berth and needs every win to stay above the 15-team cutoff. The Orange head to Coral Gables, Fla., on Tuesday night to take on last-place Miami, aiming to build on a thrilling triple-overtime win over Boston College.
Syracuse Looks to Stay in the ACC Tournament Picture
Syracuse (11-13, 5-8 ACC) desperately needed a win to stay in the race for the ACC tournament—and they got one in dramatic fashion with a 95-86 triple-OT victory over Boston College on Saturday.
- JJ Starling led the charge with 28 points on 10-for-22 shooting.
- Jyare Davis added 16 points and five rebounds.
- Eddie Lampkin recorded a monster double-double with 14 points and 18 rebounds.
Head coach Adrian Autry, now in his second season after replacing Jim Boeheim, praised his team’s resilience.
Starling has been the go-to scorer all season, leading the team with 18.2 points per game, but Syracuse suffered a major setback when Donnie Freeman (13.4 PPG) was ruled out for the season with a leg injury.
Miami Showing Signs of Improvement Despite Record
Miami (5-18, 1-11 ACC) finally broke through on Feb. 1 with its first conference win against Notre Dame but fell to Louisville 88-78 on Saturday.
The Hurricanes have been playing better in recent games, averaging 76.5 points over their past four contests.
- Matthew Cleveland leads Miami with 16.1 PPG.
- Lynn Kidd contributes 11.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
- A.J. Staton-McCray exploded for 22 points off the bench against Louisville.
Even with improved offense, Miami continues to struggle with rebounding and defense. Against Louisville, the Hurricanes got outrebounded 39-33 and allowed 35.5% shooting from deep, leading to their 11th ACC loss.
Miami played without interim coach Bill Courtney, who missed the game due to illness but is expected to return Tuesday.
“Day in and day out, I’m just staying consistent, staying motivated,” Cleveland said. “It’s just really good to finally get the reward that we’ve been looking for and try to build on it.”
What’s at Stake?
For Syracuse, this game is critical to maintaining ACC tournament eligibility. The Orange can’t afford a loss to a last-place team.
For Miami, this is a chance to play spoiler and build confidence after a tough season.
Can Syracuse overcome Freeman’s absence and stay in the ACC race? Or will Miami pull off an upset at home?
