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Syracuse basketball begin ACC play with a convincing 68-56 win over Virginia Tech.

The Orange (12-2, 1-0 ACC) welcomed the visiting Hokies (11-3, 0-1 ACC) to the Carrier Dome looking to win its first ACC opener since 2014-2015, when they beat Virgina Tech 68-66 in Blacksburg, Va.

The game began with back and forth scoring between both teams. Syracuse has done well when jumping ahead to an early lead, however struggled to do so in this game. Freshman forward Oshae Brissett opened the game with a layup following a block from center Paschal Chukwu. Chukwu, the redshirt junior, was the only big man on the court following another missed game from Bourama Sidibe.

Freshman forward Matthew Moyer was a big threat on both the offensive and defensive boards. Following a three-point miss from Tyus Battle, Moyer grabbed the offensive board and grabbed a pair of easy points. Moyer finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds, four of them coming on the offensive glass.

Battle and Howard were assets again for the Orange offense. Both of them played all forty minutes, grabbing 17 points a piece. Howard shot three of four from three and Battle shot 50 percent from within the three point line.

Right at the end of the first half, Syracuse jumped out to its largest lead of the half when Battle hit a three pointer. Going into halftime with a 13 point lead, Syracuse would be really proud of holding Virginia Tech to 19 first half points.

The second half was more even, however Syracuse did not sucumb the lead and kept momentum. Despite the visiting Hokies bringing the score to within three, the Orange then scored nine unanswered points to make the score 45-31.

Syracuse's defense forced seven blocks, three from Chukwu and two from freshman forward Marek Dolezaj. While Virginia Tech had more steals and points off turnovers, SU were able to keep the lead for longer.

Syracuse play its next game on Jan. 3 at Wake Forest, who lost 73-69 to North Carolina.

Four days after Syracuse's emotional win over former Big East rival Georgetown, the Orange welcomed a tough task from the University of Buffalo, scrapping a 81-74 win on Tuesday.

The Orange found it difficult to break away from the western New York school, who wanted to build on its three-game winning streak. The Bulls remained within striking distance the entire game, taking the lead multiple times in the game.

Freshman forward Matthew Moyer, who has found his shooting touch in recent games, grabbed early boards and baskets. He proved to be such a threat at the glass that the Bills defence forced him to shoot mid-range jump shots.

"They didn't guard Matt, and Matt took advantage of that in the first half," Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said after the game.

One difference early on was the reliance on center Paschal Chukwu. With Bourama Sidibe out of the game, Chukwu played a career-high 37 minutes, grabbing five points. When Chukwu wasn't in the middle of the 2-3 zone, freshman forward Marek Dolezaj took his place. This found success against Georgetown, so Dolezaj played his role for a much shorter role of the game.

There was also increased minutes for Howard Washington. The alternate replacement to Howard and Battle, Washington played eight minutes and recorded two minutes. The increased minutes came as a result of Howard reaching foul trouble during the first half, collecting three fouls. However, he avoided fouling out in his remaining time on the court.

The largest contributor of the game was freshman forward Oshae Brissett. He continued on his dominance from the final 25 minutes of the Georgetown game, grabbing 25 points and eight rebounds. While he struggled from the field, Brissett was perfect from the free throw line, making all 16 of his shots. This was a season-high for Brissett and the most recorded by a SU player since 2009.

Brissett played the role usually of Tyus Battle, who has played the role of hero late in games so far this season. Buffalo did a really good job closing them down, Boeheim said after the game. 

"Buffalo relaly played well. I thought they attacked our defense well. They made some big shots. Defensively, they were really good," Boeheim said.

Battle, the sophomore guard, finished with 13 points after 40 minutes.

Syracuse play St. Bonaventure on Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

This is the final episode of Cuse Quarter, the football show on Syracuse University football.

Host Monica Ortiz speaks with Tommy Farrell and Jonathan Singh about last week's loss against Wake Forest and previews the game against Louisville. Syracuse needs to win its final two games of the season to be bowl eligible for the first time since 2013.

Syracuse women’s basketball opened its season looking confident after grabbing a 95-68 win over Morgan State.

A team composed of primarily back ups from last year and new players saw off the Bears, with five Orange players scoring double digits.

Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman, in his 12th year at the helm of the Syracuse program, looked at the positives from what he saw from the team in its first game.

“I was very pleased with their effort from the first game,” Coach Hillsman said.

The productivity came from two of the newest faces to the team. Freshman forward Digna Strautmane scored her first points for the Orange right off the opening tip off, dribbling the ball fast to the hoop before pulling up and floating it in.

Tiana Mangakahia, sophomore guard from Meadowbrook Australia, also had a great debut for the Orange. Mangakahia had six points and ten assists, leading the team in assists. This was Mangakahia’s first game in two years, and she was really pleased to be back on the court.

“Tiana did a really good job getting our players open looks. Her job is to get in the paint because that’s the way we play,” Coach Hillsman said.

Mangakahia was pleased to return to the court. Following her time in Australia, she practiced at Hutchinson Community College. However, she’s taking the leading role on her new team.

“I like that he trusts me and I can lead the team. I also like to get my teammates involved on the floor,” Mangakahia said.

Syracuse recorded 30 rebounds in the first half, 19 off the offensive glass. A majority of these opportunities came off missed three-pointers, which definitely was a weak part of their game. 

Syracuse missed its opening 13 3-point shots until redshirt junior guard Isis Young hit two in a row. However, they finished the first half under 15 percent from beyond the arc.

Defensively, their full court press worked efficiently, forcing Morgan State to turn the ball over 29 times. Syracuse took advantage of these extra opportunities, scoring 39 points off turnovers.

“We’re very pleased with the pace and the effort,” Coach Hillsman said.

One main difference from last year was the depth of the team. While last year they had six or seven stars, 12 members of the Orange were on the court tonight.

The third quarter started off strong again for the Orange, with Strautmane leading the way. She grabbed her first two points that quarter the same she did in the first quarter, driving to the hoop and dropping the ball in from about ten-feet out. She finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

“It was fun for the first game. We’re going to get better as a team,” Strautmane said.

While their three-point struggles continued (finished 6 for 36 in the game), there were times of magic. Young found the slightest bit of room under two Bears players, throwing the ball up off the glass.

One returning Orange struggled offensively. Sophomore guard Gabby Cooper only played 17 minutes after getting in foul trouble early. She didn’t hit her first field goal until the fourth quarter, but her three point make gave her the confidence to get another.

Syracuse play its next game on Nov. 16 against Maryland Eastern Shore at 7 p.m.