Syracuse Rallies For 56-50 Victory

Monday, November 18

7:30 p.m.

Syracuse University

(4-0)

St. Francis Brooklyn

(2-2)

St. Francis Brooklyn

Syracuse

DaJuan Coleman matched a career high with 14 points to go along with six rebounds

11/18/2013 8:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 9/7 Syracuse (4-0) ended the contest on a 10-0 run and got the game winner from sophomore Michael Gbinije with 58.5 seconds left to lift the Orange to a 56-50 victory against St. Francis Brooklyn (2-2) on Monday, Nov. 18 in the mainland portion of the EA Sports Maui Invitational at the Carrier Dome.

SU held St. Francis Brooklyn scoreless for the final 4:10 after the Terriers matched its largest lead at 50-46. Sophomore Jerami Grant began the game-winning play with a steal on the defensive end and found Gbinije, who finished on the other end with a layup to give Syracuse a 52-50 lead, its first since a 32-30 advantage. Senior C.J. Fair and Grant sealed the win with a pair of free throws each in the final 30 seconds.

Sophomore DaJuan Coleman matched a career high with 14 points and added six rebounds, including five on the offensive end. Grant contributed 13 points off the bench with a game-best eight rebounds and redshirt sophomore Trevor Cooney had 12 points and three steals.

Coleman scored Syracuse's first eight points and sparked a 10-0 run that gave the Orange a 12-5 lead just over seven minutes into the game. SU grabbed its largest lead of the night at 22-14 with 6:27 left in the first, using an 8-2 stretch that included six points from Grant. St. Francis Brooklyn closed the gap to 24-22 behind five points from Jalen Cannon. However, Cooney converted a four-point play to stop the Terrier run and SU took a 30-26 advantage into the locker room.

The Terriers scored nine of the first 11 points of the second half to go back in front at 35-32, and didn't trail until SU's final run. St. Francis Brooklyn was never able to grow its lead by more than four points and SU tied the score on four occasions throughout the rest of the game. With the score tied 40-40, St. Francis Brooklyn scored six of the next eight points to equal its largest advantage at 46-42 with 6:22 to go in the contest, but Syracuse made its next four free throws to tie the game again 46-46 with 5:16 remaining.

Trailing 50-46 with 4:10 left in the contest, SU used a free throw from Cooney and one from Fair, plus a Grant put-back, to even the score one last time, 50-50, with 1:29 to play. Gbinije's layup proved to be the game-winner and SU made its last four free throws to clinch the victory. After converting only 6-of-its-first-13 free throws in the contest, the Orange hit 12-of-its-last-14, all in the game's final 6:52.

The Orange won the rebounding battle 36-30 - including 18-9 on the offensive glass - which produced 20 second-chance points. Syracuse also held the edge in points in the paint at 30-22, with 22 coming from down low in the first half.

Cannon led three Terriers in double-figures with 16 points and tied for game high honors with eight rebounds. Wayne Martin added 13 points and five boards.

Syracuse now heads to Maui for the remainder of the EA Sports Maui Invitational. SU begins the event with Minnesota on Monday, Nov. 25 at 5:30 p.m.