Syracuse’s 16-point lead dwindled to three as Georgia Tech opened the second half with nine straight points.

The last time the Orange faced the Yellow Jackets, it led by nine before halftime. Then it fell behind by 13 and eventually lost. The opening of Saturday’s second half provided reminders to that game two weeks ago.

But this time SU was at home, and if there’s one known factor about Syracuse after 31 games, it’s that the Orange is a different team at home.

“It was definitely a statement win,” freshman guard Tyus Battle said. “We lost to them at their place. … Tonight we played our game.”

Syracuse never fully cracked like it had before. Instead, it punched Georgia Tech back and won, 90-61. The Orange (18-13, 10-8 Atlantic Coast) outscored the Yellow Jackets (17-14, 8-10) by 17 in the second half and finished with its biggest margin of victory in a conference game this season. The win wrapped up a wildly successful ACC home slate in which SU won all but one of its games. And on a day associated with the team’s seniors, it wasn’t just them who found their groove.

Andrew White scored a career-high 40 points and John Gillon dished out 10 assists, while Tyler Lydon also grabbed 13 boards and Battle scored 22. Syracuse shot 15-of-24 from behind the arc and cruised down the stretch — a contrast from its past eight games in which it trailed by double digits each time.

“We shoot well like that from 3,” SU head coach Jim Boeheim said, “it’s hard to beat that.”

Shortly after the Yellow Jackets came within three, Syracuse went on a 21-2 run. White scored 17 of those points. He hit back-to-back 3s with nine minutes remaining, single-handedly causing the 30,448 in the Carrier Dome to stand up. They were applauding the performance on the court, but also the significance of the eventual win.

The Orange survived the gauntlet of this year’s ACC schedule and finished eighth in the league. SU will face No. 9 seed Miami in the conference tournament on Wednesday at noon. While Syracuse remains on the NCAA Tournament bubble, a loss on Saturday would have been catastrophic to the Orange’s Tournament chances.

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But just being in position to have a shot at the Tournament reflects Syracuse’s turnaround.

“After the start we had,” Boeheim said, “I think it was mostly thought we probably wouldn’t make the NIT.”

Gillon said if he and his teammates didn’t come together, their individual post-college goals wouldn’t happen either.

Syracuse jumped out to a 16-4 lead and forced a Georgia Tech timeout. Taurean Thompson hit a 3 and Gillon chased him into the huddle. While the other four starters sat on the bench, Gillon stood in front of them barking directions. Boeheim didn’t enter the huddle right away. The starting point guard he named midseason was running the show. Gillon finished with 10 points and 10 assists.

“There’s no NBA, there’s no playing in a good league overseas,” Gillon said, “if you’re a loser.”

The Orange didn’t buckle as Georgia Tech closed in, instead doing the opposite and blowing the game wide open. It was so far out of reach that Boeheim played senior and former McDonald’s All-American Dajuan Coleman in just his fourth ACC game of the year and for the first time since Jan. 24.

The last time SU won a game as comfortably as it did on Saturday was in a 23-point win over Boston College on Jan. 14. That was also a rematch at home after a road loss. In the second matchup between the two teams, Syracuse held the Eagles to 43 fewer points.

The 10-point difference in Georgia Tech’s points wasn’t as drastic, but symbolized the same. The Orange continued to improve throughout conference play and came away with another crucial win as Selection Sunday looms eight days away.

There’s no guarantee where SU will be a week from now, but it did all it could against Georgia Tech.

“You have to have to have a killer instinct,” Gillon said.

Published on March 4, 2017 at 8:49 pm

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds