For much of their East regional opening round game against the No. 16-seeded UNC-Asheville Bulldogs, it looked like the No. 1 Syracuse Orange was in real trouble. At the end of the first half, Jim Boeheim's squad trailed by four points. But after fighting back in the second half, Syracuse avoided the upset and picked up a 72-65 win over the upstart Bulldogs.
2012 NCAA Bracket, Syracuse Vs. UNC Asheville Final Score: Orange Avoid Upset With 72-65 Win
James Southerland put the Orange back on top with a three-point jumper just after the 10-minute mark in the second half. Syracuse would keep the lead right through the game’s final buzzer.
The win was not without a point of contention, however. A controversial lane violation call gave the Orange two free points late in the game.
Southerland led the Orange with 15 points, hitting 3-for-5 from outside the arc. He also had eight rebounds.
J.P. Primm led the Bulldogs with 18 points.
Syracuse will play the No. 8 Kansas St. Wildcats in the second round.
For up-to-the-minute scores on all NCAA Tournament games, please check out SI.com’s complete scoreboard.
For more Syracuse coverage, check out Troy Nunes Is an Absolute Magician, SB Nation’s Syracuse blog.
For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation’s Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation’s NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.
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