A tired Oakland Golden Grizzlies team was no match for a fast-paced Orange team led by a career performance from freshman Brandon Triche.
Tuesday night’s matchup with the Rochester, Michigan-based Grizzlies displayed SU’s ability to take advantage of a drained and less talented team. It was also a coming out party for Triche, who scored a season and career-high 27 points.
Both teams came out shooting early, with Oakland putting the first points on the board. But soon Syracuse took-off on a 10-0 run. The Orange capitalized on a miserable 2 of 22 three-point shooting and an overall 37.1 percent shooting by Oakland, leading to SU’s 92-60 win.
The Grizzlies have crisscrossed the country over the past week with games in Michigan, Seattle and Oregon before their stop at the Carrier Dome. The 6-7 Summit League team was no match for the talent and energy on display from the Orange.
However, it wasn’t all roses for SU. They struggled with turnovers, totaling one less than Oakland’s 16. Despite the sloppy play, Syracuse scored an impressive 28 points off turnovers compared to just 8 from Oakland.
Triche’s team-high points total came off of a perfect 6 of 6 behind the arc. Besides his crisp shooting, the highlight of the night came early in the second half on a fast break with a no-look, behind-the-back pass to Andy Rautins for an easy layup.
Wes Johnson had his fifth double-double, and second straight of the season, with 19 points and eleven rebounds. He was all over the floor, including jamming a dunk home in busy traffic on an offensive rebound.
Rick Jackson got the start in place of an injured Arinze Onuaku for just the third time in his SU career. Onuaku came off the bench for about 5 minutes in the first half but was struggling from the bruised right quad he sustained in SU’s rough win over St. Bonaventure on Saturday.
SU head coach Jim Boeheim pulled all of his starters late in the second half, no doubt giving them a chance to rest up for the tough stretch ahead. SU heads into Big East action Tuesday in Newark, N.J. against the Seton Hall Pirates.
Onuaku’s health and SU’s ability to go head to head against a number of strong conference opponents are important things to watch in the coming weeks. For now, the Orange can build on their 12-0 start and savor it over the brief Christmas layoff.
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