2008 Woodie Awards
'Cuse pops Providence's bubble . . .
Kevin O'Brien '07
Issue date: 3/1/07 Section: Sports
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Apparently Syracuse didn't get the memo.
The Orange toppled PC 71-67 in what can only be described as a heartbreaking loss for the Friar faithful. PC did a lot of things right-out-rebounding 'Cuse, holding Orange marksman Demetris Nichols to 7-20 shooting, and finishing with less turnovers than the Orange-but the Friars couldn't hit a shot (or get a call) in the game's final frantic moments.
"It comes down to execution at both ends of the floor at the end of the game in these types of games," Head Coach Tim Welsh said afterwards. "They made the play when Nichols made the tough three at the end and we missed a couple. [Sophomore] Geoff [McDermott] missed a layup and Darryl Watkins slapped [sophomore] Weyinmi [Efejuku] in the face and he missed a layup on the last play."
Welsh seemed noticeably frustrated with the officiating in the post-game press conference. Despite a poor shooting performance, PC was in the game to the very end. But down 69-67 with five seconds left, Efejuku drove the lane and drew contact from Syracuse center Darryl Watkins, but no whistle came, and two Orange free throws later the game was over.
"I probably got slapped . . . but the refs didn't see it as a foul, so they didn't call it," Efejuku said afterward.
"The way the game was being called, you're not going to get a slap in the side of the head. You have to get tackled to get fouled out there, so we have to understand that as a team and understand that you've got to be stronger," Welsh said.
The first area to get stronger in is shooting. Hill did his part-posting a jaw-dropping line of 29 points (on 13-16 shooting), 15 boards, and 8 blocks-but the rest of the team combined for an abysmal 13-58 mark (22.4 percent) from the floor.