NCAAB fans erupt as Syracuse defeats UNC in a statement win: "What a performance, out of absolutely nowhere!"
Syracuse fans flooded their home floor following a statement victory over seventh-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels, triumphing 86-79. Prior to their big win, the Orange had struggled a bit, tasting defeats in three out of the last four games, whereas the Tar Heels had better luck, securing victories in 12 out of their last 14 matchups.
Judah Mintz dropped 25 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals to lead the Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York. His backcourt partner, JJ Starling, contributed 23 points and three rebounds in 40 minutes of pulsating action.
North Carolina's RJ Davis scored 19 points (7-11 FG) in a losing effort. This was a redemption story for Syracuse (16-9) after a 36-point blowout (103-67) against North Carolina (19-6) at the Dean E. Smith Center in January. That was Syracuse's heaviest margin of defeat since the 2006 season when they lost to DePaul Blue Demons, 108-69.
College basketball fans were quick to react to Syracuse's upset win against a ranked opponent.
"What a performance, out of absolutely nowhere! They’ve shown the minimum standard now. No excuse not to perform like that more often." a fan reacting to Syracuse's suprising victory.
"Jim Boeheim was spinning in his grave watching the students storm the court there." one fan mistakingly mentioned that the former Syracuse Head Coach passed away, hinting that he wouldn't have liked fans flooding their home-court.
Adrian Autry assumed the position of men's basketball head coach at Syracuse after the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. He replaced his mentor, legendary Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, who had served the university for nearly 50 years.
This fan is clearly not a Justin Taylor fan:
"See what happens when you bench Taylor for most of the game?" a fan suggesting what would happen when the Syracuse Orange bench Justin Taylor. The sophomore guard only scored three points, two rebounds and one assist in 21 minutes of action.
"Y’all just rushed the court after beating a top 10 team. A program with 6 final fours has no business acting like a mid major." a fan reacting to Syracuse fans storming the court
While others were criticizing NCAAB fans for rushing to the court after the game, some justified it saying that it was long overdue.
"Why is everyone busting the students for storming the court? Syracuse has sucked for over 5 years when we last won 20 games in 2018-2019, so it was awesome to see that great enthusiasm back in the Dome, it’s just what this program needed!! Glad the crowd & team enjoyed this win!" a fan tweeted out.
"Tourney back in the picture fs *eyes emoji*" a fan hinting that the Syracuse Orange's chances of joining March Madness improved after the upset win against North Carolina.
Syracuse have their work cut out against Georgia Tech on Sunday. They will be hoping to get on a roll with another victory.