NCAA
Duke 66, Syracuse 60
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
DURHAM, N.C. — Forward Jabari Parker scored 19 points and No. 5 Duke held on to beat top-ranked Syracuse 66-60 after a potential tying basket was waved off with 10.4 seconds remaining on Saturday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
With Syracuse trailing 60-58, Orange coach Jim Boeheim was ejected when he was called for two technical fouls after official Tony Greene ruled that Syracuse forward CJ Fair’s drive for a basket did not count because of an offensive foul.
Duke guard Quinn Cook converted three free throws on the technical fouls.
Forward Rodney Hood added 13 points for Duke, which holds a 31-game home-court winning streak. The Blue Devils, who were coming off Thursday night’s loss at North Carolina, have not suffered consecutive defeats since March 2012.
Forward Jerami Grant’s 17 points and Fair’s 12 points led Syracuse, which had its school-record 25-game winning streak ended three nights earlier by lowly Boston College.
The Orange (25-2, 12-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) dropped 1 1/2 games behind first-place Virginia in the ACC. Duke (22-6, 11-4) kept alive its slim hopes to win the regular-season conference title.
The lead went back and forth for the first 10 minutes of the second half before Duke grabbed a 51-45 lead with less than eight minutes to play.
Parker’s putback dunk with 4:25 left helped the Blue Devils to a 55-49 edge.
The Orange were within 57-56 on two free throws by guard Trevor Cooney with two minutes remaining.
Parker bulled in for a basket at the other end. He rebounded Cooney’s miss, but then Parker failed to convert on the front end of a 1-and-1.
Syracuse forward Rakeem Christmas dunked to make it 59-58 before Duke guard Rasheed Sulaimon’s one free throw at the 24.9-second mark.
The score was tied 26-26 at halftime, although Duke never led in the opening 20 minutes.
Syracuse built a nine-point lead, aided by free throws from guard Tyler Ennis when Duke guard Andre Dawkins was called for an intentional foul on a breakaway.
But Duke pulled even with 1:06 left when Sulaimon scored off an Orange turnover.
Syracuse was fortunate that it grabbed 13 offensive rebounds in the first half because it was shooting only 28.6 percent (10-of-35) from the field at the break.
Orange reserve forward Michael Gbinije, a transfer from Duke, scored eight first-half points. He made Syracuse’s only two 3-point baskets in the first half.
Duke was 3-for-9 on first-half free throws.
NOTES: Syracuse defeated Duke 91-89 in overtime three weeks earlier in a game that has been called as perhaps the best college game of the season. … This was Duke’s first game against a No. 1-ranked team since facing North Carolina on March 8, 2008. … Syracuse and Duke both failed to protect double-figure, second-half leads in their previous games, with Syracuse falling to Boston College and Duke losing at North Carolina. … This game began a season-ending stretch of four road games in five outings for Syracuse, which plays Monday night at Maryland. … Duke is at home on Tuesday night against Virginia Tech, playing its fifth game in 11 nights.
