Syracuse secures 'emotional' win over Louisville in first game after teammate's dismissal

SYRACUSE — Even a much-needed win couldn't eliminate remnants of Benny Williams' sudden dismissal from the Syracuse men's basketball team.

Syracuse announced Tuesday that Williams was no longer on the roster. After Wednesday's nail-biting 94-92 win over Louisville at the JMA Wireless Dome, Orange coach Adrian Autry appeared emotional during the postgame presser, talking slowly and choosing his words wisely while only accepting to answer a few questions about Williams' dismissal.

"We just want the best for him. Sometimes things don't work out and you just don't have control of timing sometimes. … That's about as far as I'm going to (get into it)," Autry said.

Sophomore Chris Bell's career-high 30-point night on 8-of-10 shooting from 3-point range helped the Orange (15-8, 6-6 in Atlantic Coast Conference play) avoid a three-game losing streak. Bell said he supports Williams, and still called him his "teammate."

"With the Benny situation, we support him, we miss him. Just keep your head up," Bell said.

What happened to Benny Williams?

Neither Syracuse nor Autry elaborated on the details of Williams' exit. But some odd events occurred during Saturday's 99-70 loss at Wake Forest.

Ashley Wenskoski of CNY Central pointed out how Williams nudged shoulders with Autry on his way to the bench. The incident happened with 1:43 remaining in the first half after Williams received a technical foul for throwing the ball.

Rachel Culver, also from CNY Central, noticed Williams stormed off the court with eight seconds left and waved off a coach attempting to grab him. Williams was long gone by the time Syracuse shook hands with Wake Forest.

Autry was visibly frustrated during Saturday's presser but blamed his anger on the 29-point loss.

"I'd like to apologize to our fans, our university for that performance. It's unacceptable. Won't be accepted. Won't allow it," Autry said Saturday.

Syracuse took a day off when it returned from Wake Forest. The team announced Williams' dismissal late Tuesday morning on X.com with a brief statement: "Everyone involved with the program wishes Benny the best."

Wednesday's win over Louisville (7-16, 2-10) was a relief for Autry and his Orange.

"It's been an emotional last couple of days, not only on our players, but our staff. I give those guys all the credit. … This game right here was about our guys rallying together," Autry said.

Previously, Williams was suspended for an exhibition contest and Syracuse's first two regular season games, according to The Athletic. Even then, Williams' suspension was noted as a team rule violation. No explanation was given for Williams' recent dismissal.

How did Syracuse do without Benny Williams against Louisville?

Williams averaged 5.4 points and 3.9 rebounds as a 6-foot-9 reserve forward. A former five star recruit out of IMG Academy, Williams' absence was apparent in Autry's shortened rotation against Louisville.

Only seven Syracuse players touched the floor. Peter Carey, a 6-foot-11 sophomore center, was the only Orange big man off the bench. Carey picked up two fouls in 5:11 of play and was relatively ineffective. Autry expects to give Mounir Hima more minutes after not playing the 6-foot-11 junior at all Wednesday. Naheem McLeod, a 7-foot-4 center, had foot surgery in January and is out for the season.

"We have some options. But also it depends on the team we're playing against (and) what their front court looks like," Autry said.

How Syracuse beat Louisville

Bell was on fire from 3-point range, but his defense may have won the Orange the game.

Bell's chase down on Skyy Clark with 14 seconds left preserved Syracuse's two-point lead. Clark's 3 then tied the game at 92 with 6.6 seconds left. Syracuse's Judah Mintz made a heads-up play and quickly inbounded the ball down court to Quadir Copeland, whose layup was blocked off the glass and ruled a goaltend, which gave the Orange a two-point lead with 3.8 seconds remaining.

"I knew what he was going to do. (Clark is) one of my friends, so I'm kind of used to the things he does," Bell said.

Bell was automatic from downtown during his 30-point night. He made 8-of-10 treys and led five Syracuse players in double figures: Judah Mintz (21 points), JJ Starling (19), Maliq Brown (11) and Copeland (11).

Louisville outrebounded Syracuse 40-21. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (19 points, 13 rebounds) and Tre White (17 and 12) outrebounded the Orange as a duo. Brown led the Orange with nine boards.

"Definitely a little bit of struggles because that's not a lineup we're used to playing. I feel like for our first game, not being able to practice that lineup that much, I feel like we did pretty good," Starling said.

Syracuse hosts Clemson (15-7, 5-6) at noon Saturday. The Tigers are now home to former Orange Joe Girard III, who's averaging 15 points.

— Marquel Slaughter is a journalist for the Democrat and Chronicle, specializing in high school sports.He has been a reporter for 14 years. Follow him @MarquelSports on X or on Instagram. You can contact him at mslaughter1@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Syracuse tops Louisville in first game after Benny Williams dismissal