Syracuse downs SDSU on top of USS Midway

They tried three times to get an NCAA game played on an Aircraft Carrier this past weekend and yesterday, they were finally able to complete a game when the number 9 ranked Syracuse Orangemen defeated number 20 San Diego State University on the flight deck of the USS Midway in San Diego, 49:62.

The game wasn’t without it’s own set of problems as they had issues with the floor bubbling prior to the game and had to sand it down and coat it, they had problems with the 24-second clock on one basket, had problems with the horn, then ran out of air in the replacement air horn. It was windy, sunny and it was basketball the way every one of the guys on the court grew up playing, outside in the elements, albeit on top of a 972 foot aircraft carrier that was active during the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm. It was a chance to honor US Military personnel during Veterans Day weekend and it was a chance to showcase some young student athletes at the beginning of a long collegiate basketball season.

The first challenge both squads had to adjust to was the wind coming off the Pacific, making jump shots virtually impossible. “This was a tough day,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. “This was a hard game. You had to get to the basket. That was the only way you were going to score. You weren’t going to make any jump shots.”

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Syracuse took control early building a 4:17 advantage with just until 12 minutes left in the first half and never looked back taking a 19:33 lead into the intermission. Whether it was the wind or just poor shooting, the Aztecs could only manage 27% (17 0f 63) from inside the arc and 1 of 18 (5.6%) from behind it. By contrast, the visting New York squad connected on 25 of 56 (44.6%) inside the arc and only took four shots behind it, dropping in one. The Aztecs got their game on track in the second half and played even, but they weren’t able to cut the margin and dropped their season opener.

One key advantage that the Orangemen have is height and that translated into SDSU altering shots and getting shots blocked (Rakeem Christmas had five of Syracuse’s 10 on the day). Said SDSU coach Steve Fisher: “I don’t know how good Syracuse is or is going to be. I know one thing — they’re not going to get any shorter. They gave us fits with 10 blocked shots and at least that many that they altered.”

Top Scorers:
San Diego State Aztecs: Jamaal Franklin 11; James Rahon 9; JJ O’Brien 9.
Syracuse Orangemen: Michael Carter-Williams 17; C.J. Fair 17; Brandon Triche 15.