Syracuse basketball hosted yet another tightly contested non-conference matchup, hosting familiar in-state opponent, Colgate.
In the 176th all-time meeting between the Orange and the Raiders, this year’s nonconference battle was a nail biter until the final buzzer rang out. After opening the game up to a 13-point lead, Colgate narrowed the gap to just a single possession, until Syracuse mustered its way to a gritty, 74-72 game to start its season 2-0 under second year head coach Adrian Autry.
Takeaway 1: Tune up the defense
It was just a three-point game at halftime. A game where the Orange were favored by 11.5 points. Syracuse’s defense allowed Colgate to shoot 15 triples, and the Raiders made six of them. Colgate shot 42% from the field through 20 minutes of action.
All that truly separated the two teams were the eight second-chance points the Orange scored off six offensive rebounds.
Where Autry’s biggest concern lies is the transition defense. Syracuse gave up 22 points in transition defense, whether it be from driving down low or the Raiders passing back toward the arc.
“That just can’t happen, right?,” Autry said. “That’s just the reality, and I’ll talk to our guys about that. They understand we can’t do that. We’ve gotta get back.”
Syracuse gave Colgate some breathing room around the perimeter, and the Raiders weren’t afraid to take advantage. If the Orange continue struggling with their defense, it could quickly snowball into a bigger problem as the season progresses. Syracuse will play teams that run a fast-paced offense — a much faster one than Colgate ran. Leaving shooting guards open from mid-range or in a corner pocket can’t continue happening if Syracuse expects to shut down offenses.
Syracuse dominated on the glass, picking up 45 rebounds compared to Colgate’s 36 and forced six turnovers.
Takeaway 2: Eddie Lampkin’s double-double
Graduate center Eddie Lampkin had big expectations to live up to after committing to Syracuse this offseason. He recorded double digits in the season opener against Le Moyne, and had to play hero against Colgate in his second game wearing Orange.
Lampkin recorded his first double-double of the year, finishing the game with 15 points and 12 rebounds against the Raiders. He led Syracuse in points and picked up the most rebounds of any player on the court.
“Obviously, he goes to the glass,” Autry said. “He’s doing what we expected him to do. He’s a guy that made some great assists. He got Chris Bell going in to get in the second half. You know, he’s a guy who we’ve got to play through.”
He proved he can make the in big moments, even if the Orange struggled to maintain defensive control. Lampkin scored the eventual game-winning bucket with less than 90 seconds to play — a bucket deep in the paint after Colgate tied the game just moments earlier. The Orange couldn’t score any free throws in the final moments of the game, allowing Lampkin’s bucket to stand as the icing on the cake.
Syracuse finished the game with three players in double figures: Lampkin, J.J. Starling and Chris Bell. Bell scored nearly all 14 of his points in the second half, after struggling to make a shot in the opening 20 minutes.
The Orange had 68 offensive possessions against the Raiders and averaged 1.08 points per possession. They can, and do, move the ball around a lot this season, and they have players who can score throughout the game. Last time it was Starling and Bell, but this time it was all Lampkin when it mattered.
“Having him settle for anything less isn’t doing him in this favor,” Carlos said. “So I think that’s what Eddie does, and that’s what he’s gonna do every night.”
Takeaway 3: Free throws
They’re called free throws for a reason — they’re almost free points.
Syracuse basketball made only four of its free throws against Colgate. It ended the game going 50% from the charity line.
“We’ve got to do a better job of making free throws closing out the game,” Jaquan Carlos said.
Even worse, the Orange missed both initial free throws in two one-and-ones at the end of the game — essentially giving the Raiders the opening they needed to try and win the game on a buzzer-beater. They didn’t after Colgate’s Jalen Cox tripped sprinting down the court, with his final shot nearly lined up.
Syracuse is shooting 64.5% from the free throw line through two games, where its opponents nearly 74%. A sample size of two games isn’t a ton in a 31-game regular season, but it can feel concerning when the Orange miss key free throws this early in the season.
Autry hammered one thing home during his postgame press conference: don’t make drastic, early-season assumptions about his team. The Orange are playing a fast-paced offense, and Colgate could be an NCAA tournament team again in March. Autry still expects his team to continue getting better. He believes any lingering early-season kinks can and will be resolved as the season progresses.
“It’s a new team,” Autry said. “We’re still trying to figure things out.”
Up next for Syracuse (2-0): vs. Youngstown State — Nov. 16 at 1 p.m.
Up next for Colgate (1-2): at NC State — Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.