NEW YORK – Before the Syracuse men’s basketball team’s game against Oklahoma State on Tuesday night, SU head coach Jim Boeheim paced the hallway outside SU’s locker room. He was pensive and maybe a little nervous as he contemplated the Orange’s biggest game of the season.

Boeheim had said after SU’s win over Colgate on Saturday that the OSU game would be a true test to how good the Orange is.

Turns out, not as good as most thought. Oklahoma State beat the Orange, 74-60, in front of 10,331 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. In the end, the Orange beat itself with missed rebounds and missed free throws.‘The game was a tremendously difficult defensive battle,’ Boeheim said. ‘We just didn’t do well on the defensive boards there.’

Nor on defense, at least late.

OSU’s John Lucas hit an open 3-pointer in the corner to break a 45-45 tie with 5:52 remaining. One minute later, Orange forward Terrence Roberts committed his fifth foul as OSU’s Stephen Graham finished with a layup and added a free throw to put the Orange behind, 53-45.

At the time, it was OSU’s largest lead all game.

The Orange (7-1) was 7-for-22 from the free-throw line in the game and only 2-for-11 in the first half.

Unexpectedly, Boeheim continued his trend of subbing his bench early. Roberts entered the game at 15:18 of the first half for center Craig Forth, but Forth would return at 13:52 as Hakim Warrick picked up his second foul of the night. At that point, Oklahoma State had surged back to a 9-7 lead.

OSU freshman JamesOn Curry, who originally committed to North Carolina, proved his worth hitting an NBA 3 and adding a quick 2, putting the game at 11-7. He had seven first-half points.

The Cowboys continued to play tough man-to-man defense throughout the first half as the Orange stuck to its 2-3 zone.

‘We played defensively as well as we could play tonight,’ Boeheim said. ‘The game really turned on two defensive scrambles.’

At 12:24 of the first half, freshman point guard Josh Wright and Warrick entered the game. Wright had been used scarcely against SU’s other ranked opponents this season, and Warrick had two fouls at the time.

Warrick did not pick up his third foul until 16:15 of the second half, despite playing 18 minutes in the first half.

The two teams traded baskets for much of the night, as the Orange ended the first half on top, 22-21. The Cowboys’ two offensive rebounds late in the second half, which contributed to an eight-point swing, shook the Orange from OSU’s rearview mirror.

Boeheim was pleased with how hard SU fought, and he said Roberts is starting to make big contributions. But to be successful, SU’s younger players must contribute more.

‘I believe Oklahoma State is as good as anyone in the country,’ he said. ‘The bottom line is we have three veterans who are playing very well, and for us to be a good team at the end of the year, we have to get some help.’

Published on December 7, 2004 at 12:00 pm