Although Syracuse basketball won the season opener against Le Moyne, there is a lot to work on.
Syracuse basketball got off to a slow start that saw Le Moyne get out to an early nine-point lead before the second media timeout. The Orange fought back to force a back-and-forth game for the remainder of the first half but trailed 41-36 at halftime.
In Le Moyne’s only exhibition, they used 18 three-pointers to cruise to an easy win. However, when the threes were not falling, they used physicality to take the lead into halftime.
The second half started with Eddie Lampkin and the Orange matching the Dolphins’ physicality. The Orange immediately looked to Lampkin on the block who powered his way to an easy bucket. But this did not translate to Syracuse basketball pulling away from the Dolphins.
In the end, the Orange won 86-82 in a hard-fought game against Le Moyne.
Takeaway #1: The Orange corrected one of their two exhibition faults
The two main points of emphasis for head coach Adrian Autry following the exhibition win over Slippery Rock: defense and rebounding. On the glass, the Orange dominated 46-32, but the real improvement came on the offensive boards as they grabbed 20 offensive rebounds. This did not always translate, as the Orange struggled to convert, with only 12 second chance points. In the end it was one of the few positive sides of the regular season opener.
On the opposite side, the Orange struggled on the defensive end. After Le Moyne knocked down the Orange put an emphasis on defending the three-point line. Le Moyne spread the court which constantly pulled the big-men out of the lane, the Dolphins responded by getting downhill and creating opportunities near the rim.
When asked about the defensive performance, coach Autry saw some success in turning Le Moyne into a “two point team.” But the main defensive problem came in the gaps of the defense, this was amplified by the Dolphins’ ability to stretch the defense out to the perimeter.
While the performance on the defensive end did pick up in the last few minutes of the game, there are still a lot of question marks in the defensive category for the Orange.
Takeaway #2: The inside game
In the two exhibition games, Syracuse basketball struggled to work the ball into the paint, instead settling for outside jumpers that went in. Against Le Moyne, these shots did not fall as the Orange were just 4-22 from behind the arc. This forced Syracuse basketball to move the ball into the paint more often.
In the first half, Eddie Lampkin Jr. did not see the floor much as he picked up his second personal foul just under seven minutes in. However, even when he returned in short spurts, Lampkin showed just how important his paint presence can be for the Orange. He scored 10 points, all coming from in close in just 19 minutes on the floor.
Jyare Davis also responded to the challenge by forcing his way into the lane early and often. Davis was efficient from the floor, making seven of his eight attempts, while also earning plenty of opportunities at the free-throw line. Davis finished the game with 22 points.
When asked about Davis, Adrian Autry had a simple answer, he said: “Without Jyare Davis, we don’t win this game.”
Although the inside game was an improvement from the previous two exhibition games and the Orange held on, there is a lot to improve on if the three-point shots are not falling.
Takeaway #3: Three-point shooting
In this contest, the Orange shot a poor 18.2% from behind the arc on 22 attempts. This was a stark contrast from the exhibition games in which Syracuse basketball was near lights out from three. While the Orange have proven they can win games by knocking down the three, they also showed that they can make games much more difficult than they need to be.
The three-point performance changed the way that the Orange played this game. Syracuse basketball had many clean looks due to the size advantage that they had over Le Moyne. This gave Syracuse basketball the opportunity to work inside and then out, to create open looks.
“I think they were all good shots, we just didn’t make them,” coach Autry said.
While Syracuse basketball was not hitting from deep in their regular season opener, it may have opened up their ability to become a more balanced team. They will have an eight-day break before playing their next game inside the JMA Wireless Dome against Colgate.
Next game for Syracuse basketball (1-0): vs. Colgate (0-0) – Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. EST
Next game for Le Moyne (0-1): vs. Cal State Northridge (0-1) – Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. EST