The simple answer to a Syracuse Orange loss against NC State, in a game where it garnered 27 free throws, is that it missed eight freebees and lost by four.
Break into the nuanced view of the free throw game the Orange and Wolfpack played on Wednesday, and it’s clear that Syracuse did not take advantage of the discernible advantage of sitting in the bonus for more than half of the game.
The referees stopping the game nearly every minute for a foul call should have made that clear.
Not only did the Orange fail to hit the free throws given, they did not play effectively on offense or defense in crunch time.