During its 10-day layoff, the Syracuse men’s basketball team was issued a challenge by head coach Jim Boeheim:

Don’t play timid or nervous. Play like you can play.

Ten days wasn’t enough, though. The Orangemen needed another 10 minutes before they finally played up to Boeheim’s wishes.

After a knocking off the rust that comes with 10 days without a game, No. 19 Syracuse cruised to a 75-54 victory over Binghamton in the Carrier Dome on Saturday night in front of 21,383. Of the 13 Orangemen who entered the game, 12 scored. Only freshman Terrence Roberts, who poured in 12 points in 14 minutes, scored in double figures.

‘That’s the best we’ve played so far,’ SU forward Hakim Warrick said. ‘If we get balanced scoring like that and guys come off the bench, it’s going to be tough to stop us.’

In the game’s final 30 minutes, Binghamton found it impossible. Led by Roberts, Syracuse (3-1) used a balanced scoring attack and a deep bench to put away the Bearcats.

In SU’s last game, against St. Bonaventure, only SU’s starters played over 10 minutes. On Saturday, 10 players did. Matt Gorman, who previously hadn’t played all season, played 13 minutes and dumped in eight points. Jeremy McNeil played 20 minutes – up from nine against the Bonnies – and ripped nine rebounds to go with six points.

Instead of carrying the scoring burden squarely on their shoulders alone, Warrick and guard Gerry McNamara each chipped in a quiet nine points.

Even walk-on Ronniel Herron got into the act, scoring SU’s final basket and sending the crowd into hysterics. Andrew Kouwe, another walk-on, was the only Orangeman who didn’t get into the scoring column.

‘We tried to get everybody in and get some chemistry going,’ SU forward Josh Pace said. ‘We’re going to need that once we get into the Big East. That’s the key for us.’

But SU’s balanced scoring attack didn’t assert itself right away. Binghamton (3-5) actually led as late as the 10-minute mark in the first half, 16-14. The Bearcats dictated the game’s flow by walking the ball up the court each possession, canceling out SU’s superior athleticism.

Boeheim, frustrated by SU’s inability to get into transition, at one point implored his team to run a motion offense, screaming, ‘Pass and cut!’ Instead, on the ensuing possession Warrick hoisted a 3-pointer that drew only iron.

Syracuse eventually countered BU’s plodding pace by switching to a full-court press. With guard Gerry McNamara at the head, SU’s trapping, aggressive style forced Binghamton to rush the ball down the floor and quicken the game.

‘They tried to slow the game,’ Warrick said. ‘We kind of fed into it. The press sped the game up for us and made them play at a pace we felt more comfortable in. I don’t think they were as comfortable playing that pace.’

After switching to the press, SU went on a 17-4 run that all but finished Binghamton. During that run, SU’s press yielded its most effective play. BU center Nick Billings threw a deep outlet that McNamara intercepted at halfcourt. He then pushed the ball up to Josh Pace, who quickly dished it back to McNamara for an open 3-pointer. McNamara drained it to put SU up, 26-18.

Roberts finished off SU’s late, first half spurt with seven straight points. The freshman put his cocky attitude on full display. First, he threw down an alley-oop from Warrick and flexed his muscles. After he followed a miss with a dunk on SU’s next possession, he slapped the back board on his way back down to the floor.

He still wasn’t done. He finished off his personal run with his first career 3, after which he posed with his left hand in follow-through position for several seconds. When he was done, SU led 33-20.

‘There will be more to come,’ Roberts said, chuckling. ‘There will be nights when I get a fast break and do something crazy. That was only the start. Step one.’

Still, Syracuse showed again that it’s not the same dominant team it was a year ago. The Orangemen can – and likely will – still win most of their games, but it won’t be with the same panache as last season.

‘I don’t think we’re going to beat anybody bad unless we can schedule some Division IV team or something,’ Boeheim said. ‘We’re going to have to battle and fight for everything we can get. We didn’t play poorly tonight. This is what we are.’

Published on December 16, 2003 at 12:00 pm