With four minutes to go Boeheim’s Army only had hit one three. The crux of their offense had dissolved when Delroy James gave Team Fancy a 55-53 edge with their seventh make outside — an edge in the race to 60.
Syracuse’s group had awkwardly pressed bully ball for most of the night on offense to draw 14 free throws. But the most important ones came via the late finesse of John Gillon, who hit four straight in crunch time and opened the floor up for Demetrius Nichols.
He splashed his second to get to 53, then had all the time he needed staring down 60 as it flew from Gillon inside into his wide open corner.