Syracuse, N.Y. — After a 10-day layoff, Syracuse returned to the JMA Dome on Tuesday night looking for its first 4–0 start since 1991. The Orange also welcomed back senior guard J.J. Starling, who had missed the previous two games after suffering a leg injury early in the season opener against Binghamton.
But Monmouth, entering at 1–2, wasn’t intimidated by the return of SU’s leading scorer. The teams traded baskets early before the Hawks caught fire from beyond the arc, taking a 22–20 lead with 8:26 left in the first half. Syracuse, however, quickly settled in as Monmouth’s offense cooled.
Out of the under-four timeout, freshman Kiyan Anthony completed a three-point play to cap a 7–0 Syracuse run, helping the Orange take a 33–26 lead into halftime.
The second half belonged to SU’s offense. Just 46 seconds in, Starling found his rhythm, scoring back-to-back layups off the glass. Starling finished with 11 points on 4-6 shooting. Moments later, Anthony drilled a three to stretch the lead to seven. Even with fewer minutes due to Starling’s return, Anthony still delivered with 7 points and three rebounds.
Syracuse maintained control for much of the half. With 8:06 remaining, Sadiq White brought the Dome to its feet with his second two-handed dunk of the night, giving the Orange a 14-point cushion.
But Monmouth refused to go away. The Hawks clawed back from a 16-point deficit, trimming SU’s lead to just two with 35 seconds remaining. Donnie Freeman calmly knocked down two free throws moments later, pushing the lead back to four and helping Syracuse escape with a 78–73 victory.
Despite the win, Syracuse’s inability to close the door — marked by turnovers, missed free throws, and lapses on the glass — was cause for concern. The performance echoed last season’s sloppy late-game habits, the kind of play that ultimately kept SU out of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year.
If the Orange want to prove that this season is different, the carelessness has to disappear. Syracuse must clean up its defensive rotations, sharpen its rebounding discipline, and value every possession before it faces No. 2 Houston and No. 24 Kansas, two programs built on toughness, precision, and punishing mistakes.
Against elite opponents, the lapses that Monmouth failed to capitalize on will quickly become game-defining swings. The coming stretch won’t just test Syracuse’s talent; it will reveal whether the Orange have truly matured or whether last year’s bad habits are still lurking beneath the surface.
