CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Since the start of Atlantic Coast Conference play, Syracuse’s trademark defense has become a shell of itself. Head coach Adrian Autry wants his team to harness a defensive-minded, gritty identity. Yet, the Orange have conceded an average of 77.7 points per game in ACC play, a far cry from when they silenced then-No. 13 Tennessee to 60.
On the day SU’s defense finally showed up big again, at least according to Autry, its offense failed to match.
Syracuse (13-11, 4-7 ACC) limited No. 18 Virginia (20-3, 9-2 ACC) to 41% shooting and induced 20 misses from 3-point range, but it hardly mattered as the Orange lost 72-59 — their sixth defeat in their last seven tries. Still, Autry deployed a few personnel and strategic changes to activate SU’s defense, which did well at keeping the Cavaliers at bay Saturday afternoon…