Tyus Battle Led Syracuse To An Upset Victory Over Zion Willamson And Duke

On the heels of a last-second win over Florida State on the road, the Duke Blue Devils entered Monday’s game against Syracuse as the No. 1 team in the country. Despite the absence of projected lottery pick Cameron Reddish, Mike Krzyzewski’s team was projected to hold serve with a lopsided win (Duke entered as a 17-point favorite in Las Vegas) but, after 45 minutes of game action, it was Tyus Battle and the Orange that emerged with a stunning and impressive victory.

Though Duke was already expected to cruise, things seemed dire for Syracuse in the early going, as the Blue Devils zoomed to a 12-0 lead in their home building.

Predictably, Cameron Indoor Stadium was rocking but Jim Boeheim’s team wasn’t deterred. It must be noted that, in addition to Reddish’s absence, Duke lost starting point guard (and potential first round pick) Tyus Jones to injury early in the first half and, when he exited, things seemed to flip. Still, there is plenty of reason to credit Syracuse for battling throughout the course of regulation and, even when Duke was able to force overtime on a free throw by Williamson late in the second half, the Orange took it to the Blue Devils in the extra frame.

Battle wasn’t alone in playing well but the veteran guard was fantastic in scoring 32 points, grabbing four rebounds and producing four assists. He was flanked by 20 points from Elijah Hughes and 16 points from Frank Howard but it was Battle living up to the hype as one of the better players in the country.

While the eventual margin was four points, it should also be noted that Hughes connected on a very long buzzer-beater to end the half.

Things could have played out differently but, in short, everything matters in an overtime game and that heroic effort proved to be quite important. In addition, Syracuse used their patented zone to flummox Duke at times, with only Williamson and reserve Alex O’Connell able to produce efficient offense. R.J. Barrett, projected as a top-three pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, struggled mightily to the tune of an 8-for-30 shooting effort and, as a team, Duke made only 9 of 43 attempts from beyond three-point arc.

Along the way, there were plenty of fireworks (including 35 points and 10 rebounds) from Williamson and he remains the front-runner for national player of the year. Still, this was a night for Syracuse to pick up its best win of the season and, in looking ahead to March, that result could be pivotal for the Orange in seeking an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.