Syracuse 75, Pace 57 – There was no style points in SU’s second and final preseason exhibition match. The Orange, who were in the JMA Dome for the first time this season, came out sluggish despite facing D2 Pace.
After trading buckets at the start, the Setters found their groove versus a sluggish Orange defense. Shooting 10-19, Pace jetted out to a 24-19 lead with under 5 minutes to go in the first half. With the help of Freshman Sadiq White, Syracuse quickly responded with an 8-3 run to take a 29-27 lead at half. But in the second, it was all Orange. Fueled by physical defense and fast-paced offense, SU closed out the evening on a 28-5 run.
Despite the victory, Cuse fell far short of Head Coach Adrian Autry’s expectations: Tonight was not the night…I was very disappointed. We got punked a little bit,” stated Autry, who begins his 3rd year at the helm for Orange.
But even with SU’s subpar performance on Wednesday, Syracuse showed glimpses of what they could be in 2025. After struggling against Buffalo, Donnie Freeman found his rhythm early in the win. The Junior led the team with 26 points and 9 boards. Today, Freeman was added to the preseason Karl Malone Award list, which recognizes the nation’s best power forward.
Outside of Freeman, The Orange found a spark in Sadiq White. The Freshman finished with 14 points and 4 slams. With Carmelo sitting courtside, Kiyan Anthony tallied 9 points on 2-5 shooting.
Syracuse starts the regular season facing Binghamton on Monday.
