For all that C.J. Fair has accomplished this season — and there’s been plenty — a high level of efficiency hasn’t always been there. He’s scored in double figures in all but two games this season, but he’s also shot worse than 50 percent from the field in 13.

His 19-point performance against Clemson on Sunday was strong, but compared to some of his other performances it appeared to just be another good day for the senior forward.

Still, Jim Boeheim called it one of his best — and his most efficient performance to date.

“Some people may not think it’s his best game, but it was his most efficient,” the Syracuse head coach said. “I thought he was really good.”

Fair scored a game-high 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting — good for a season-best 61.5 percent — and helped the No. 1 Orange (23-0, 10-0 Atlantic Coast) hold off the Tigers (15-7, 6-4) for a largely drama-free 57-44 win in front of 25,931 in the Carrier Dome.

The win continues SU’s best start in school history, and its 23rd win in a row matches the longest winning streak in program history.

Guarded by K.J. McDaniels, one of the conference’s best defensive forwards, for much of the game, Fair bounced back from one of the worst games of his career against Notre Dame with one of the best. The Fighting Irish kept him out of the paint on Monday, and when his jump shots stopped falling he finished the game a miserable 2-of-13 from the field.

“Sometimes as a player you feel like you’re in a groove that you know are not the best shots,” Fair said. “(Boeheim) just wanted me, if I have it, to pass it back out and they’d do something else to give me the ball. I was able to be patient and let the game come to me.”

Just as importantly, though, Fair started off hot.

Whereas he turned the ball over on the first two possessions against the Fighting Irish and missed his first four field goals, Fair sunk both of his jump shots in the first five minutes and helped Syracuse jump out to an early 8-4 lead.

“That makes the game a little easier,” Fair said.

Every jumper Fair shot against UND felt like it was going in, he said. The lack of efficiency wasn’t a matter of shot selection.

He blamed a bit of fatigue, but the way that the Irish played against him also prevented him from finding any sort of rhythm. It clogged the lane and forced him to settle for jump shots.

And even though Clemson is the top defensive team in the nation, it couldn’t stop Fair from finding a variety of ways to score. He had plenty of his signature jumpers and did attempt three 3-pointers, but also scored eight points in the paint and added two more at the free-throw line when he was fouled on a drive to the rim.

“He had a couple big shots, a couple jumpers, he hit a 3 and down the stretch he got into the lane,” Boeheim said.

In the final seconds of the first half, Fair got the ball in the left corner with a pair of defenders within feet of him. He muscled his way through the duo and tossed up a layup to give the Orange a 31-22 halftime lead.

Sam Maller | Photo Editor

Senior center Baye Moussa Keita was sidelined due to a sprained right knee. Grant fills in at center for injured Keita in Syracuse win

The Tigers hung around for a bit, but Fair made sure to keep them at bay. With Baye Moussa Keita sidelined with a sprained right knee that he suffered during the first half, shorthanded SU needed to bury the Tigers, and Fair’s and-one runner along the baseline to stretch the lead to 12 with 15 minutes left in the game ignited the crowd.

When Clemson cut the lead down to five points midway through the second half, Syracuse went right back to Fair who sliced to the hoop and got fouled. He sunk both free throws and kick-started a 6-0 run that stretched the lead back to double figures.

“Whenever we need buckets we go to him,” SU forward Rakeem Christmas said, “and he just goes and we just crash the boards.”

With Fair’s big day, the Orange had its first smooth end to a game in more than a month. SU has won by double digits, but usually its heroics have come in the final minute or two.

Instead, Fair was able to check out of the game in the final minute and give way to some of Syracuse’s lesser-used players for a well-deserved standing ovation.

“I was able to get open and get the defense on edge coming at me,” Fair said, “and I took advantage of my opportunities. I didn’t waste any opportunities.”

Published on February 9, 2014 at 7:56 pm

Contact David: dbwilson@syr.edu | @DBWilson2