In its first exhibition game of the season, SU [6] put on a clinic in defeating Pace University by a score of 99-63. A combination of ball movement, stifling defense and a size advantage gave the Orange [7] an ability to pull away early.
“We shot the ball really well but we let up the defensive intensity in the 2nd half, which leads to open shots,” said head coach Jim Boeheim [8]. “Overall, it was a good first step.”
The Orange jumped on the Setters [9] in the early going by pumping the ball inside and cutting through the lane. By the middle of the first half, the Orange had a 20-4 lead and weren’t surrendering any easy points with their size advantage. The center on the Setters was only 6’6.
“Size is definitely going to be an advantage for us going forward, especially at the top of the zone Mike (Carter-Williams) has a 7 foot wingspan and I have a 7 foot 3 wingspan,” said James Southerland [10].
Southerland’s 18 points led the balanced Orange scoring attack all night long, making the extra pass and finding the many mismatches they had on the floor. A total of six players eclipsed double digits on the night.
Not only was there a high volume of scoring by SU, but they did it on a very efficient level. SU shot 57.8 percent from the field and even shot 50 percent from three-point range. Michael Carter-Williams [11] played a key role in those statistics.
“I’ve been having a little trouble shooting in practice but I just stayed confident with my shot and kept shooting,” said Carter-Williams.
Carter-Williams brought a little bit of everything to the table, as he had 16 points on five of seven shooting. He even kicked in seven assists and four steals. The performance was Carter-Williams’s first college start.
For some of his Orange teammates, it was the first live action of their college career. DaJuan Coleman [12]had a tough time finishing on some plays but ended the night with 11 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots. The rookie center played with a high motor all night long.
“I think he did a good job. I think he’s learning,” said Boeheim when asked on Coleman’s performance.
The other freshman that played significant minutes was Jerami Grant. [13] Grant brought his defensive tenacity to the top of the zone and finished the game with six points and seven defensive rebounds.
“I was definitely a little bit nervous but I think I was just more anxious to play. I just wanted to come out and get my first game out of the way,” said Grant.
Syracuse plays its next exhibition game against Bloomsburg on Sunday at 4:00 at the Carrier Dome.
Other News and Notes:
-Boeheim mentioned how “far” Baye-Moussa Keita has come offensively and it showed. The center scored 14 points on seven of eight shooting for the night and played his typical stellar defense.
-After an initial rocky start, Brandon Triche picked up his game by finishing with 11 points and five assists.
-C.J. Fair was the energizer bunny on the night as he scored 16 points and chipped in five rebounds.
- Syracuse had seven more turnovers than Pace.
-Syracuse had 14 blocked shots.
-Trevor Cooney did not play at all but Coach Boeheim does “hope” that he can play on Sunday.
