Syracuse tops foul-ridden Duke basketball in overtime 91-89

Duke and Syracuse's long-awaited first ACC matchup lived up to the hype—it was an instant classic.

I don’t think I’ve been involved in a better game here that I can remember where both teams played at such a high level," Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said.
In overtime, Jerami Grant hit a pair of free throws to give Syracuse (21-0, 8-0 in the ACC) an 88-87 lead with 39.1 seconds to play. With a chance to take the lead, Rodney Hood drove the lane and went up for a monster dunk. Hood sustained contact to his left arm and his dunk attempt clanged off the rim and bounded away.



“This game is too good to talk about one play," Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski added. " We were hoping there’d be contact, and then you hope that you finish it. It was a hell of a play. It’s a big time play."

Syracuse forward C.J. Fair had a field day with Parker and Jefferson on the bench with four fouls apiece, leading the Orange on a 12-3 run that appeared to have the Blue Devils on the ropes in the closing minutes of regulation.

Just when it all seemed lost for Duke (17-5, 6-3), Tyler Thornton re-entered the game and took over. The senior started the game but failed to find a groove early, playing just four minutes in the first half—but Thornton hit 3-pointers on three straight possessions to silence the Carrier Dome crowd and pull Duke to within two points with 4:22 remaining.

Parker re-entered the game with four fouls and made an impact quickly, finishing through contact to tie the game at 70-70 with 3:53 to go. Fair answered with a three-point play to give the Orange back the lead. The senior finished with a game-high 28 points, 17 of which came in the second half. Fair's partner on the block, sophomore Jerami Grant, added 24 points and 12 rebounds and made a number of big shots to keep his team in the contest.

“Fair and Grant were sensational—not good, they were sensational," Krzyzewski said. "Fair is a top pro pick... and Grant is going to be a pro.”

We were scrambling a lot because of our foul trouble, and our kids scrambled well," Krzyzewski said. "They scrambled well enough to put us in a position to win."

“I think it’s great for our conference," Krzyzewski said. "Rivalry doesn’t have to be hatred—a great rivalry is built on respect. And a great rivalry is built on the respect of excellence."