The Orange shot a dismal 28 percent in the first frame and couldn't pull through in a very physical contest.
With Syracuse trailing by one point with 40 seconds remaining, Michael Gbinije saw Rakeem Christmas coming to the top of the key to set a ball screen.
He saw Christmas set his feet, or so he thought, and decided to drive through the lane for a potential game-tying shot. But before he could get there, he heard a whistle.
Despite poor shooting, the Orange cruised past Adrian in its final tuneup game.
As the second half began and the announced 7,680 fans rose to their feet, No. 23 Syracuse was nursing an unexpectedly low 13-point lead over D-III Adrian. Still, it was right on the doorstep of breaking the game open
Twelve minutes later, it had busted the door off its hinges.
Behind an impressive 23-0 run to begin the latter period, the Orange rolled to an easy 84-35 victory over the Bulldogs at the Carrier Dome on Monday night in its final exhibition contest of the preseason.
Nobody was sure if the freshman forward would be able to suit up for the Orange this season, but after weeks of speculation, the NCAA allowed Roberson to play, according to multiple reports.
It was a long wait, but the final key piece in the 2013-2014 SU basketball team is finally in place.
Tyler Roberson, a 6-foot-9-inch forward from Roselle Catholic in New Jersey, will suit up for the Orange in the team's first season in the Atlatic Coast Conference. Multiple sources confirmed this decision, including CBS Sports Network Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein:
Syracuse freshman Tyler Roberson has just been cleared by the NCAA, per a source. Will suit up for the Orange this season.