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While Syracuse lost both its games at the Legends Classic in Brooklyn, New York, last week, the Orange finally showed what they’re capable of.

After being down by as much as 16 against Texas Thursday, SU reeled the Longhorns in to tie the game at 56 with just over six minutes remaining and took the lead with four minutes to go. But down the stretch, Syracuse couldn’t seal the deal, losing by four.

On Friday, SU hung around with Texas Tech before succumbing to a second defeat in two days. Still, the Legends Classic brought many positive signs for the Orange. J.J. Starling scored a combined 43 points across the tournament. Chris Bell heated up from 3, going 5-for-14. And after shooting 9-for-18 from the free throw versus Texas, the Orange finished 24-for-28 from the charity stripe against the Red Raiders.

The opposition got easier for Syracuse Wednesday when it faced Cornell, one of its last easy games before a gauntlet to conclude nonconference play and a tough Atlantic Coast Conference schedule. Though Cornell punched above its weight, jumping out to a 10-0 lead as SU started the game shooting 1-for-15. The Orange upped their own tempo and a breakneck game commenced. Ultimately, SU outlasted the Big Red to secure a 44th straight win over the Ivy League foe.

Here are some observations from Syracuse (4-2, 0-0 ACC) 82-72 win over Cornell (4-3, 0-0 Ivy League):

Davis starts over Lampkin

After SU rolled out the same starting lineup for its first five games, head coach Adrian Autry opted to shuffle the deck in response to Syracuse’s first two losses of the year. Delaware transfer Jyáre Davis started in place of Colorado transfer Eddie Lampkin Jr.

Lampkin performed strongly to begin the season — scoring at least 14 points in three of SU’s first four contests — but only managed four points against Texas Tech Friday. Davis has been a spark plug for the Orange off the bench, averaging 8.8 points per game entering Wednesday’s game. However the senior also had a poor day versus TTU, recording two points in a season-low 12 minutes.

Davis was quiet in the first eight minutes of action and was part of an overall slow start for the Orange. Lampkin checked into the game with 11:40 to go in the first half. With SU adapting early to match the quick pace of the undersized Cornell team, Lampkin and Davis struggled to leave their stamp on the game. Consequently, SU often used smaller lineups, where Lampkin saw a season-low nine minutes.

Davis slammed an important dunk to give Syracuse a 69-59 lead with under five minutes to go, finishing with eight points and five rebounds.

Cornell’s quick pace

According to KenPom, Cornell plays with the second-fastest pace in the country, with each possession lasting only 14 seconds. The Big Red’s fast play was apparent from the start.

Eleven seconds after Starling turned the ball over on Syracuse’s first possession, Guy Ragland Jr. unleashed a 3-pointer to open the scoring. On the next play, Starling missed a shot, and Cornell raced down the court. Cooper Noard converted another triple 13 seconds after grabbing the defensive rebound. Soon after, it became an 8-0 Cornell advantage when AK Okereke cashed in on a quick jumper. Nazir Williams finished a transition layup to push the lead to double digits at the 17:07 mark.

Finally, Donnie Freeman got Syracuse on the board at the 16:36 mark of the first half, but by then, SU was already digging itself out of Cornell’s rapid start.

The deficit eventually got bigger. Ryan Kiachian sank a jumper 10 minutes into a possession, then Jacob Beccles deposited a layup to push the Big Red’s advantage to 14-2. After the quick tempo caused Syracuse problems early on, SU accelerated its own offense, allowing it to overcome its slow start and eventually pull away from Cornell.

Moore breaks out

Freshman Elijah Moore’s trademark is his 3-point shooting prowess. However, he hadn’t fully made an imprint from beyond the arc to start the campaign. Moore, whose left elbow is adorned with a tattoo resembling a bullseye, struggled to find the mark. In SU’s first four games, the freshman shot a mere 20% from 3 and never played more than 20 minutes or recorded over eight points.

That all changed Wednesday, as Moore exploded for 19 points on 5-for-7 3-point shooting. Entering the game with under 12 minutes to go in the first half, Moore’s impact was not instantaneous, but it arrived in a flurry. After SU had missed two shots but gathered the rebound, Starling fed the ball to Moore in the right corner, and he drained a 3 to trim the deficit to 17-11. With just under six minutes to go in the first half, Moore stared down Beccles before netting a 3 over him to narrow the score to 20-16.

With under a minute to go in the first half, Moore got to his spot on the right wing and sank another 3, sparking a 7-0 Syracuse run in the last minute. He closed the half with a jumper to push SU’s halftime lead to 39-28. In the first half, Moore shot a strong 3-for-5 from 3 and paced the Orange with 13 points.

Less than two minutes after checking into the game in the second half, Moore drilled an open 3 off a fastbreak, pushing SU’s lead to 56-49. As the score narrowed to four points, Lucas Taylor swatted a Cornell shot away, and on the other end, Moore hit a deflating 3 on the Big Red, culminating in a five-point swing.

Freeman finds form

Freeman had a forgettable performance against Texas Tech in Brooklyn, only scoring five points on 1-for-7 shooting. But the freshman seemed to have put that game behind him as he notched a season-high 23 points with 12 rebounds versus the Big Red.

None of his finishes were flashy, but he was smart with his footwork down low and his cutting to find himself open from close range. He posted up Beccles, who Freeman had a six-inch height advantage over, to begin the second half. Freeman spun Beccles and converted the layup.

Next, Freeman cut inside off the baseline to receive a no-look pass from Starling, then uncorked a shot while Okereke fouled him. The shot dropped, and the Bahamian cashed in on the ensuing free throw. Freeman passed and moved off the ball, receiving a pass between two Big Red defenders and navigating to the basket for a layup.

Freeman also found teammates on the move. With a quick inbounds pass under the basket, he found Kyle Cuffe Jr. cutting to the hole and set up the guard to extend SU’s lead to nine. Freeman then showcased his extended range, swishing a contested mid-range jumper with just over six minutes to go. As the shot clock expired, Freeman rumbled inside to draw a foul and sank both attempts from the line. Freeman slammed the door shut on Cornell with a stentorian dunk in the final minute.

Freshmen carried the offensive load for the Orange. Freeman and Moore combined to score 42 points, while the rest of Syracuse managed 40.

Published on November 27, 2024 at 9:23 pm

Contact Nicholas: njalumka@syr.edu | @nalumkal