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At its best, Syracuse’s defense stood tall when cornering Monmouth’s guards against the baseline, drawing one of 14 turnovers, locking down one of the most inexperienced teams in the country. At its worst, it stood still.
With 2:45 left in the first half, the Orange sat in a position they neve thought they’d be in Monday night — down three points to the Hawks and looking down the barrel of another possible upset. They were in the midst of allowing a 56.