Jim Boeheim thinks Brandon Triche can play like he did Wednesday every time he takes the court.

Triche, the senior guard and Syracuse’s de facto veteran leader, took over the game at times against Rutgers. He finished with 25 points to lead all scorers.

That point total is the most Triche has scored since Dec. 22, 2009 — when he scored a career-high 27 against Oakland. His second career 25-point game came 109 games after his first.

“I have total confidence in him,” Boeheim said. “I believe he can play the way he did today every single day.”

Triche got off to a sparkling start in SU’s 78-53 win over the Scarlet Knights, scoring nine of the Orange’s first 11 points by making his first three 3-point attempts. He scored his 25 points efficiently, making 8 of 11 field goals, 5 of 7 3s and all four free-throw attempts. It was just the second time this season Triche shot more than 50 percent from the 3.

He also helped lead a 21-0 run to close out the first half as he and Michael Carter-Williams ran Syracuse’s transition offense with quality decisions. He finished with six assists and only one turnover.

It was the Triche performance the Orange has looked for all season. The emergence of a senior who provides leadership with his experience and his play.

“When he’s hot, he’s hot,” said Carter-Williams, who gave out 10 assists. “When he gets going, I call almost every play for him.”

Triche entered Wednesday shooting a career-low 30.8 percent from 3-point range from the season. He made just 3-of-13 from deep in SU’s last four games.

But the “when he’s hot, he’s hot” Triche sat down the Carrier Dome crowd on SU’s opening possession by burying a 3 from the right corner. Not long after, he hit a second triple off a feed from Carter-Williams to put the Orange ahead 8-2. His third one came before the under-16 media timeout.

“After going 3-for-3 I was feeling it,” Triche said. “I tried to get my shots up, I don’t think I shot any more than I usually do but today they went in.”

Triche’s scoring took a backseat role in the rest of the first half as he turned to finding others to make plays. As Syracuse was just beginning to embark on its 21-0 run, Triche found C.J. Fair with a crosscourt bounce pass.

Fair was fouled as he went up for the layup. Triche turned around to look over to the SU sideline, where Boeheim gave him a fist pump.

“He was the difference in our team,” Boeheim said. “Everybody else played the way they’ve been playing. He had control of the game, he made shots, he made plays and he played great tonight.”

As Syracuse looks for a player it can turn to for a bucket, Triche stands out. Just as he did before the season, Triche is the player with the strongest claim. He is a four-year starter and one of only two returning starters — Rakeem Christmas is the other. Triche entered the Rutgers game tied with Southerland for the team lead with 13.8 points per game.

Triche’s fourth and fifth 3s came back-to-back in the second half, both off of assists from Carter-Williams. The second gave the Orange a 62-33 lead, its largest of the game.

At times, Triche has disappeared this season, making three or fewer field goals in four games. Boeheim never questions the confidence he has in the senior, though.

Triche said he is just as confident in himself that he can perform at a high level every game.

“It’s not about shooting, scoring,” Triche said. “It’s about being able to find guys, being able to make plays. I’m confident I’m able to make plays whether my shots go in or not.”

Published on January 3, 2013 at 12:26 am

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