Syracuse Embarrassed by Seton Hall

It was not a pretty sight for the Orange fans packed inside the Carrier Dome last night. Fortunately, I was watching the game on television, so I simply looked away when things got out of hand, but those at the game could not escape Seton Hall's 90-68 annihilation of Syracuse.

Similar, to Syracuse' previous two opponents, Pittsburgh and Villanova, Seton Hall (9-12, 3-6) came out firing on offense early on. Their game plan against the 2-3 zone was textbook; hit outside shots to stretch the defense, then use penetration and passing to score easy buckets inside.

They did not let up all game, finishing 54% from the field and 59% from beyond the arc. The Pirates had five scorers in double digits, lead by sharpshooter Jeremy Hazell's 28 points.

Syracuse (18-3, 5-3), on the other hand, looked extremely flat. They shot a paltry 36%, committed sloppy turnovers, and simply could not slow down the Pirates. Coach Boeheim used all of his players in the blowout, but for a team that normally only plays three guards (Jardine, Triche, and Waiters) it's difficult to play a full court press and to try to come back from such a large deficit.

Jeremy Hazell nails a three pointer over Brandon Triche (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Individuals put up significant numbers; Rick Jackson had another double double, and Joseph, Jardine, and Triche all scored double digits. But as a team, they are not doing enough.

You have to be worried about where the Orange are mentally right now. As coach Boeheim said, "I think when you lose a couple games, you lose a little confidence."

On the other side, Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard cited confidence as a force behind his team's victory, stating of Jeremy Hazell, "He hit a couple of deep ones early and really loosened everything up. That was a big part of everyone else getting some confidence."

The Orange came out just three days after losing a tough game against Villanova. They were likely physically and emotionally spent.

Still, this is life in Division I college basketball, especially in the Big East. You can't just show up against a seemingly inferior opponent and expect to win, everyone knows that. If the Orange want to move forward, they need to put their losing streak behind them and focus on the next game. It's that simple.

They will have their next chance to do so Saturday at Marquette.