The 176th matchup between Colgate and Syracuse was nail-biter for the Orange, however SU escaped with a 74-72 win to stay undefeated on the year. Coming into the contest, Syracuse had fallen at the hands of the Raiders in two of the last three matchups. And today, at points it seemed as if Colgate would play spoiler once again. The Orange led by as much as 16 points in the game, but the Raiders tied the game with less than 90 seconds to go in the contest. Luckily for SU, center Eddie Lampkin Jr. came to the rescue, saving Syracuse from defeat. So how did it all go down in the dome, and what do the Orange need to work on? Let’s assign some grades based on tonight’s performance.
Offense: B
Syracuse’s offense won the Orange this game. SU’s defense failed to step up, forcing Syracuse to rely on its attack. Lampkin led the way for the Orange, finishing with 15 points and 12 rebounds. The double-double was the grad student’s first with Syracuse. Lampkin’s twelve boards helped SU tally up 45 rebounds in total. It’s the first time since 2020 that the Orange have had 45+ boards in back-to-back games. On top of SU’s strong rebounding game, Syracuse finished with 19 assists as a team. While all of that is positive, there’s still a reason the Orange only beat the Raiders by two. SU struggled from the free throw line. Syracuse went 4-8 from the charity stripe. Forward Jyare Davis missed two shots from the free throw line in the last minute of the game giving Colgate the final possession of the game. While Syracuse did survive, free throw shooting is something Syracuse needs to work on going forward.
Defense: C-
It was a struggle for Syracuse defensively throughout the contest. The biggest issue for SU in this game was transition defense. The Orange surrendered 22 fast-break points, while only scoring two. That was something head coach Adrian Autry was upset about in the postgame press conference and alluded to the fact it would be fixed. It was also known coming into this game that Colgate was going to shoot the three. In the last three matchups leading up to tonight, the Raiders were averaging over 15 threes a game against SU. While Syracuse did only let up 10 triples tonight, Colgate still shot over 35% from behind the arc. Even though that doesn’t sound bad, the Raiders three-point shooting kept them in the game. It was most prevalent during a 10-0 run in the second half where Colgate drained three triples to put the Raiders within four.
Coaching: B+
Following the postgame press-conference, I was left with a sense of passion around the program. Autry made it clear that this performance was far from good enough, noting that things will change as the season goes on. One of those things that are changing is the way the Orange offense is running. Autry established in the postgame that Syracuse is having 20-25 more offensive possessions per game. That’s a big reason why SU gave up so many fastbreak points tonight. Another reason why Autry noted the offense is not where it should be is due this group not having enough time to gel yet. While last season’s squad might’ve been less talented, they had played together before and had plenty of chemistry on the court. Autry said that this team will take time to find its identity and that couldn’t be more true. Three of the five starters tonight for Syracuse are playing just their second game for the Orange. All of that gives me hope not only for the team, but for Autry’s message to the entire SU fanbase. The honesty in the postgame leads me to believe that Autry and the rest of the squad will walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
