Syracuse edges out Le Moyne in unexpectedly tight opener

To start the season, Syracuse Men’s Basketball faced off against Le Moyne in the dome. This game is a yearly tradition at SU; two nearby schools competing in one of the biggest stages in college basketball, it does not get better for the city of Syracuse. However, this game took a different direction than most fans predicted.

In the end, Syracuse won by a score of 86-82, much closer than a ton of fans hoped for.

Photo by Jack Henry

Syracuse fans celebrate after Syracuse seals the game against Le Moyne in the JMA Wireless Dome on Monday.

Le Moyne started the game hot, holding the Orange to just over 30 percent from the field in the first half. The Dolphins found easy opportunities to score throughout the half. Needless to say, it was not the ideal start to the season for Syracuse.

On the bright side, the Orange found ways to put the ball through the net. A positive for them was offensive rebounding; Eddie Lampkin, Donovan Freeman, and Jyare Davis were all exceptional in that category. Half of the time, SU converted the easy putback layup; the other half, that idea was unsuccessful. 

Photo by Jack Henry

Syracuse guard Jaquan Carlos drives to the basket against Le Moyne.

Another flaw that the Orange had throughout the game was three-point shooting. It was the most common plan of attack for SU offensively, and it did not work out as expected. The Orange finished the game with a percentage of just under twenty from beyond the arc, an area that needs to be improved before their next game.

Thankfully, Syracuse found Le Moyne’s weak spots before it was too late. The Dolphins got into foul trouble in the second half, mainly on plays in the paint. In turn, this caused their defense to become very sloppy, leading to their offense becoming abysmal.

Turnovers were a major positive for SU; that was where Syracuse got most of the scoring done in the second half, along with second-chance opportunities under the rim. 

In the opening game of a season, college basketball powerhouses usually play a below-tier team to get a “free win.” Syracuse uses that strategy with Le Moyne, who last beat them in 2009. Every year, the game is a blowout in favor of SU. This time, it was a different story: a very concerning start to the season for SU.

Photo by Jack Henry

Syracuse fans fill the dome with signs and bright orange for SU’s first basketball game of the season against Le Moyne.

“Our guys are not good right now, that’s the reality,” SU head coach Adrian Autry said after the game. “Our guys have to be a little bit better. Certain games, certain strategies work, we did not want to make this game a close one.”

Syracuse has a week off before they take on Colgate in the Dome on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. Before that, the Oranges have a lot of mistakes to fix so the season can get back on the right track.