Cavaliers make it 7 victories in row
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Jayden Gardner scored 17 points and made a jumper near the foul line in the final minute as No. 6 Virginia withstood a second-half surge by Syracuse to win its seventh straight game, 67-62 on Monday night.
Gardner, a fifth-year senior, drew a charge for the fifth foul on Syracuse big man Jesse Edwards with a minute left, then converted the shot with 37 seconds remaining to put the Cavaliers (17-3, 9-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) up by four.
“You got to have a shooter’s mentality,” Gardner said. “I missed a good look on the baseline so I made up for it on defense and finished the game off. I was hoping (for the charge). If he called a block that would’ve been demoralizing.”
Kihei Clark and Armaan Franklin each scored 12 points for Virginia, which completed a sweep of Syracuse and moved within one game of ACC-leading Clemson.
Judah Mintz scored 20 points and Edwards had 14 for Syracuse (13-10, 6-6), which has lost four of five.
Virginia twice led by eight points early in the first half, the biggest advantage for either team. The Cavaliers went ahead 46-39 early in the second half before Syracuse went on a 12-0 run that included a three-point play by Mintz, a three-pointer and three free throws by Chris Bell, and a three-point play by Edwards.
“In the first half we got off to a good start defensively and made a lot of shots, then Syracuse really took it to us. They just got the ball in the paint at will, scored over the top. We looked a bit lifeless,” Virginia Coach Tony Bennett said.
Franklin helped rally the Cavaliers, making consecutive threes for a 57-54 lead. Clark contributed a three with 3:10 remaining and two free throws with 2:35 left to give Virginia a six-point advantage.
The Cavaliers had a quick turnaround, flying to Syracuse on Sunday night after beating Boston College at home a day earlier.
“I think our tired legs showed,” Gardner said, “but we found a way to win. Not every game is going to be a blowout. This was a grind-itout game so it’s good to come up with another way to win. This is a good experience so in March we’ll know what to do with it.”
Syracuse closed within two points late, but Edwards’ offensive foul cost the Orange a change to tie the game.
The Orange shot 50% against Virginia’s typically stout defense but went just 3 of 15 from three-point range and 11 of 18 (61.1%) from the free-throw line. Meantime, Virginia shot 9 of 21 (42.9%) from long range and had success feeding Gardner in the post for easy baskets against Syracuse’s zone.
“We played easily the best game we played all year,” Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim said. “We had a lot of wideopen shots. You’re not going to beat Virginia if you shoot 3 of 15 from three. If we made our free throws, we win. They beat us like they beat everybody else.”