Girard sparks Syracuse
Orange plays WVU in second round today
The Front Page
Morning Briefing
Sunday, March 21, 2021
For four minutes Friday night Joe Girard showed us the explosive play we used to see every night at Glens Falls High School.
Syracuse’s victory over San Diego State was a great reminder of how quickly Girard III can impact a basketball game.
After missing his first two 3-point shots and a couple of unforced turnovers, Girard was pulled from the game with 11:08 left.
After Buddy Boeheim got his second foul, Girard replaced Syracuse’s leading scorer (16 at the half) with 5:37 to play.
With 4:13 to play, he Girard his first 3-pointer.
With 2:56 to play, he hit another 3-pointer from the right wing and was fouled. He hit the free throw for a four-point play.
And with 0:22 to play, he hit another 3-pointer.
Girard scored Syracuse’s last 10 points of the half to give it a 32-18 lead at intermission.
Hopefully, it is just the start of a long run in the NCAA Tournament.
Girard added two free throws in the second half to finish with 12 points.
Syracuse meets third-seeded West Virginia on Sunday at 5:15 p.m. and it will have its hands full with WVU center Derek Culver who is 6-10, 250 pounds. Syracuse has no answer for that.
Bedtime
Did Abilene Christian just beat Texas? Time for bed.
Quote of the Day
“He believed in me before I believed in myself. Seventh, eighth grade. I was never the best player, never the best athlete. But he was always there for me, telling me he believed in me. He thought I could be a good player one day. That’s all I needed to hear.’'
- Buddy Boeheim on his father and coach Jim Boeheim
