Earlier this week, Jim Boeheim likened Boston College freshman guard Ky Bowman to Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox, two freshmen guards from Kentucky and likely lottery selections in the next NBA Draft.

Bowman torched Syracuse for 30 points on New Year’s Day, which included a 7-of-8 clip from 3-point land. But the player who had taken the conference by the storm in the first stanza of league play looked like a shell of himself on Saturday, let alone comparable to two of the best guards in the country.

“Took away everything that he was doing, that was basically it,” Syracuse point guard John Gillon said. “Wasn’t that tough, we just had to play the right way.”

The right way, for the Orange at least, was wiping out the open shots Bowman took advantage of 13 days ago. In the Carrier Dome on Saturday, he scored a meager three points on 1-of-9 shooting in SU’s (11-7, 3-2 Atlantic Coast) 76-53 win over the Eagles (9-9, 2-3), his only points coming on a highly contested 3 at the end of the shot clock in the first half.

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MORE COVERAGE

• The Final Word: Beat writers discuss Syracuse’s 76-53 victory 
• What we learned from Syracuse’s 76-53 win over Boston College
• Syracuse scores 20 points off 20 turnovers in 76-53 win against Boston College
• Tyus Battle scores career-high 21 points in Syracuse’s win 

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“He hit like seven 3s I think, in the game at Boston College,” SU shooting guard Tyus Battle said, “so we just focused on not letting him get those open shots and making it tough for him and it turned out well today.”

From the outset, it was clear Syracuse was going to make Bowman work far more for his shots. He didn’t get any open looks in the first half and any attempt at penetration was met with a slide from the top of the zone, forcing Bowman to reset.

At Conte Forum in the Eagles’ 96-81 win earlier this year, Boston College utilized the post to create space on the perimeter. The Orange collapsed on the paint, and it freed up ample space for BC shooters beyond the arc, which they took advantage of the tune of 16 3-pointers on 26 attempts.

This time, Boeheim could count the number of open looks Boston College had from deep on one hand.

“I think there were two occasions where we left guys open and they made them,” Boeheim said. “They’re still very good shooters. … We did a better job of being there against them.”

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Bowman still attempted a team-high six 3-pointers but only had the one make, with Frank Howard’s outstretched hand centimeters from his face at the top of the key. But most other times, Bowman struggled mightily to muster any form of an offensive threat.

He fell into a double-team in the corner and threw the ball out of bounds across the court. Several possessions later, he double-dribbled. In the second half, Bowman rebounded his own miss but missed the jumper while trying to convert the second-chance opportunity.

Without him, Boston College stumbled to a season-low 53 points not even two weeks after plastering nearly triple digits on the Orange.

In this next stretch of games, Syracuse faces the cream of the crop of the ACC, starting with a Final Four rematch with North Carolina on Monday and a Saturday date with Notre Dame, the only team still undefeated in league play.

Not to mention both games are on the road, where Syracuse hasn’t won yet this year. There’s Joel Berry from the Tar Heels, Steve Vasturia on Notre Dame and a litany of other star players that probably won’t put up duds like Bowman did. Syracuse knows its defensive mettle will be tested now more than it has been all year.

“We let him get all these open shots,” Gillon said, “anybody in the ACC is gonna hit shots if they’re wide open.”

Published on January 14, 2017 at 7:57 pm

Contact Matt: mcschnei@syr.edu | @matt_schneidman