For two minutes, Brandon Triche controlled the game.

His eight straight points on 3-of-3 shooting extended a seven-point halftime lead to 15 right away. It also set Syracuse off on a better second half offensively.

‘I’ve been having the same confidence the last few games, pretty much taking the same shots,’ Triche said. ‘Today, they were falling.’

Those eight points in the first 1:33 of the second half were as many as Triche had scored in any of Syracuse’s last seven games. The junior guard reached double-digits in points for the first time since Jan. 28 against West Virginia, and he was the catalyst for SU’s offense in a 58-49 win over Louisville (22-9, 12-8 Big East) on Saturday. Triche led the Orange (30-1, 17-1 Big East) with 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting after scoring 14 points in SU’s last three games combined.

And he propelled an offense that was stagnant in the first half.

‘It was awesome,’ guard Scoop Jardine said. ‘A guy like Triche, who’s not really been in a slump but really hasn’t found his rhythm (in) a couple games, but for him to find it today and going into tournament play we’re going to really need him.’

Triche made 2-of-16 3s in the last seven games, but he said his confidence didn’t waver. He continued to work on his shot in practice. He talked with his dad about getting better and taking advantage when his defender gives him a cushion.

On Syracuse’s first possession of the game Saturday, Triche received a pass on the left wing from C.J. Fair. He drilled a 3-pointer over Louisville guard Chris Smith to tie the game at three.

‘If I’m open I’m shooting it regardless,’ Triche said. ‘But a lot of the time I’m getting guarded a little closer than before. So if I’m not in open spots, then I don’t try and force them.’

Triche chose his spots but was aggressive against the Cardinals. In a game in which Jardine went scoreless in 18 minutes of action, the Orange needed Triche to get going.

Syracuse trailed early, 15-9, but a 17-1 run helped SU pull ahead. With the Orange leading 22-16 after a Louisville miss, Dion Waiters saw Triche sprinting ahead of the pack in transition.

Jared Swopshire’s right arm was fully extended, but Waiters’ pass flew over it to Triche, who finished with a reverse layup, leaving Waiters jumping up and down in excitement near midcourt.

‘I think sometimes he’ll miss some shots or things haven’t gone exactly right some games, but he’s a guy who can get 20 any night,’ head coach Jim Boeheim said. ‘I believe that.’

The Orange led 26-19 at halftime and shot 32 percent in the first 20 minutes. But Syracuse came out of the break quickly. Mainly because of Triche.

Triche drilled an open 3 eight seconds into the second half. After Wayne Blackshear missed a layup on Louisville’s ensuing possession, Jardine pushed the ball in transition.

He came down the left side of the court with Triche ahead of him on the right. It had alley-oop written all over it.

Triche leapt to the rim from too far away, but gravity had taken effect by the time he received the lob. He was stuffed by the rim on the dunk attempt. But he managed to come down with the ball. He went back up strong for a layup to put the Orange up 12 and force Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino to call timeout.

On Syracuse’s next possession, Jardine fed him the ball in the left corner for his second 3 of the first two minutes, putting the Orange ahead 34-19, setting the tone for a dominant stretch by Syracuse. The Orange made 10-of-15 field goals to start the second half.

‘I think today my 3-pointer, I was focusing in,’ Triche said. ‘I wasn’t moving as much in the air, keep my form, and I was able to knock down shots.’

Triche also closed the game out, snapping Louisville’s momentum after a 9-0 run brought the Cardinals within 50-40. He drew a foul on Peyton Siva and made two free throws in a one-and-one situation. Then he came up with a steal, which he took coast-to-coast before getting fouled at the rim by Siva.

Those two free throws put SU ahead 54-40 with 2:13 left and effectively sealed the game.

‘He has been aggressive,’ Boeheim said. ‘He hasn’t made a couple. He made one early and then the second half he was ready to go.’

mcooperj@syr.edu

Published on March 3, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Mark: mcooperj@syr.edu | @mark_cooperjr