Syracuse basketball, on the back of a career performance from Elijah Moore, got back in the winner’s column beating Cornell 82-72.
The Orange got off to a slow start, which saw Cornell open up an early 10-0 lead. This 10-point lead would end up being the largest of the evening for the Big Red. But Syracuse basketball took its first lead with 4:30 remaining in the first half, opening up a 39-28 lead at halftime.
The Orange would lead for the remainder of the contest, even though Cornell cut the deficit to 4 with just under three minutes left in the game. Ultimately, the Orange used one final surge to improve to 4-2 on the season, as they bested Cornell 82-72.
Takeaway #1: Bench points
In the first two games of the season, Syracuse basketball was energized by its bench scoring. In these two games, the Orange’s bench averaged 26 points per game, which helped lift the squad to close wins. However, in the previous three games, this number dropped to just 13 points per game.
The decreased contribution from the bench dropped Syracuse basketball’s bench scoring to just over 18 points per game, which ranked them 284th in the country coming into Wednesday’s game. However, this number was eclipsed by just one player, as the bench held the major discrepancy between the Orange and the Big Red.
Overall, the Orange scored a season-high 32 bench points, 30 of which came from newcomers to the program. Freshman Elijah Moore put up 19 points, while Georgia State transfer Lucas Taylor added 9. If Syracuse basketball’s bench can continue to take pressure off of the starting five, they will continue to improve as the season progresses.
Takeaway #2: Fastbreak defense
Coming into Wednesday’s contest, Cornell was ranked 20th in the nation in fast-break scoring. For the Orange, while fast break defense has not been their strongest statistical category, they have shown success in stopping the break.
On the Big Red’s trip to the JMA Wireless Dome, they scored 23 of their points on the fast break. This number is a season-high for Syracuse’s opponents, topping Colgate’s performance by 1 point.
Syracuse basketball ranks inside the top 70 according to Kenpom’s adjusted tempo statistic, which means that they are not afraid to play at a high pace. But in this contest, Cornell found some success speeding up the Orange, as the Big Red played even faster, being ranked inside the top 25 in pace.
Once conference play arrives for the Orange, they will face off against some of the fastest teams in the country. To continue their improvement, this defensive category should be a point of emphasis for Syracuse basketball.
Takeaway #3: Three-point shooting
Coming into Cornell’s trip to the Salt City, the Orange were shooting 25% from behind the arc, and were putting up nearly 22 triples per game. While the season-long three-point percentage did not see a massive improvement, the Orange only put up 13 shots from deep and connected on five.
The 38.5% shooting from deep was a season-high for the Orange. But to add an asterisk to that number, all five of Syracuse basketball’s makes from deep came from freshman guard Elijah Moore, who went 5-7.
The decreased number of attempts is a positive sign for the Orange who have not proven that they can shoot their way out of the slump. It also allowed the inside presence to play a large factor in the win, as Syracuse basketball scored 40 points in the paint. It also allowed the Orange to get to the free throw line 20 times while hitting 17 of those attempts.
If Syracuse basketball can’t shoot their way out of the slump, shooting from deep in moderation could lead to a more balanced offensive attack later in the season.
Next game for Syracuse (4-2): at Tennessee (7-0) – Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. EST
Next game for Cornell (4-3): at Colgate (2-4) – Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. EST