Sports SUmmary: Syracuse’s smooth shooting leads to an easy 85-55 win over Cornell Big Red

The first 12 points for Syracuse came from behind the arc, and the Orange coasted to an 85-55 drubbing of Cornell in the Dome on Wednesday night. The Orange (6-4) led by as many as 38 in the true team win.

Picking up where the team left off against Central Connecticut State, SU blitzed the Big Red from the opening tip and never trailed. Najé Murray led the Orange with 18 points, but all five starters finished with double figures, and the team shot 52% from the field.

Syracuse head coach Vonn Read emphasized the importance of the Orange ball pressure defensively. Alaysia Styles recorded two pretty steals in passing lanes that translated into Orange transition buckets.

Syracuse dominated every facet, but particularly the pace of play, outscoring Cornell by 34 in fastbreak points. Chrislyn Carr led a decisive run to open the second quarter, where the Orange recorded four steals and stretched the lead to 18.

“We sped up the pace and played our way,” said Carr, who finished with 11 points. “Anytime we dictate the game, we feel good.”

Cornell struggled to create open looks against the Orange defense in the third quarter. The Big Red did not manage a single 3-point make in the first half, which took a toll on their shot selection. The Orange made nine more shots from deep than Cornell and forced their opponent to shoot a season-worst 15% from behind the arc.

Wednesday night’s win was SU’s fourth straight and added to a strong, recent stretch for the Orange. Syracuse will now turn its focus to the in-conference ACC schedule, as Clemson (5-3) comes to the Dome on Saturday.