What a great win! Syracuse takes down top-seeded Indiana 61-50 and advances to the Elite 8 for the second straight year. That was the best all-around game Syracuse has played since the 2003 title game. The Hooisers had no answer for the zone and looked completely lost at times. They turned the ball over 11 times in the first 10 minutes of the game.

Carter-Williams scored a career-high 24 points and he completely dominated their undersized guards. Triche added 14 and some solid defense at the top of the zone. Southerland, who averages 13 a game this season, only scored 5 points but he was key on the defensive end with 3 blocks and 3 steals. 

Cody Zeller scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds which sounds impressive but he was a complete no-show for Indiana. He had no idea how to attack the zone and was blocked numerous times. He wasn’t the only one struggling though – the Orange finished with 10 blocks and 12 steals.

Indiana didn’t help it’s cause by missing 9 of 24 free throws and they shot a poor 33% from the field and 20% (3-for-15) from behind the arc. That dismal shooting and inability to crack the zone led to their smallest scoring output of the season. Cuse shot well from the field (43.8%) and from the free throw line (75%), which is something that this team needs to do in order to win.

Syracuse deserved to win the game and outplayed Indiana in every facet of the game. It was a lot of fun to watch and it’s always great to take down a number 1 seed. Next up is Marquette with a trip to the Final Four on the line. The Golden Eagles are a lot more familiar with the zone and they beat the Orange 74-71 earlier this year during conference play.

The Orange has had an up and down season but it seems to be playing it’s best basketball at the right time. The Big East tournament was a big confidence boost and now they’ve played 3 very solid NCAA tournament game against quality opponents. A title run doesn’t seem anywhere near as farfetched as it did two weeks ago. Can’t wait for Saturday!