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It’s been a week since Syracuse played a game. However, that contest against Maryland at the Gotham Classic was its lowest point of an already difficult season.

The Terrapins never gave the Orange a chance. They exploded to a 43-17 halftime lead, shooting 45.9% from the field. Maryland slowed down in the back half but still cruised to an 87-60 victory — SU’s largest loss this season.

Despite a 26-point defeat to Tennessee, a loss at Notre Dame, where the Orange failed to make a 3, and a four-point loss to historic rival Georgetown, head coach Adrian Autry categorized Syracuse’s defeat to Maryland as the worst of his two years leading the program.

By the numbers, Autry’s not wrong. Syracuse’s 17-point first half and 60 total points were both season lows. In addition, it tallied a season-high 21 turnovers, leading to 25 Maryland points.

Heading into its final nonconference contest Saturday against Bucknell, Syracuse needed to get back in the win column. And it did. Despite a close battle down the stretch, SU’s frontcourt of Donnie Freeman and Eddie Lampkin Jr., alongside 17 forced turnovers, propelled the Orange to a victory over the Bison.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (6-6, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) 75-63 victory over Bucknell (4-9, 0-0 Patriot League):

Sloppy offensive play

Syracuse carried its struggles from its bout with the Terrapins into the game against Bucknell. On its first possessions, errant passes from Freeman and Elijah Moore gave the ball to the Bison.

Four minutes in, Syracuse trailed 6-5, only shooting 2-for-6 from the floor. Then, after it built a 12-6 lead, SU slowed down offensively, allowing Bucknell to cut its lead to 12-10.

Chris Bell and Petar Majstorovic sank field goals, pushing SU’s advantage to 17-12. But Bucknell crept back into the game again. Jayden Williams and Josh Bascoe — who finished 6-for-11 from distance — drilled 3s to put the Bison up 21-19.

After a media timeout, Elvin Edmonds IV drilled a 3 for Bucknell, pushing its lead to 26-22. But at that point, the Orange pulled away with a 16-2 run, highlighted by two Lucas Taylor 3s.

Syracuse maintained its lead in the second half, though poor shooting and ball handling allowed Bucknell to stick around throughout the final 20 minutes. The Orange tallied 21 giveaways versus the Bison, which Bucknell converted into 19 points.

Lampkin and Freeman dominate

Against Maryland, both Lampkin and Freeman were largely ineffective, combining for just 24 points. In many games this season, they’ve greatly propelled the Orange on both ends of the court. Versus the Bison, that proved to be the case again.

When Lampkin was on the floor, Bucknell had trouble stopping him. The Colorado transfer often bullied his way inside and converted layups. First, Lampkin cashed in a second-chance layup to tie the game 2-2. Minutes later, he sank the Orange’s second shot of the day, a turnaround jumper from the left side. Lampkin drilled another shot from the paint to push him to six points five minutes in.

Freeman then got hot midway through the first, converting a layup with 14 minutes to go. After being subbed out, he returned late in the half, drilling two 3s to push Syracuse to a 43-31 halftime lead.

Both Freeman and Lampkin proved to be efficient shooting and on the glass. Lampkin finished the first half with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Freeman also totaled 12 points with five boards.

In the second half, the duo slowed down. Still, both finished with double-doubles, as they continued to assert their dominance under the rim.

SU’s defense holds strong

Syracuse hasn’t been known for its defense this season. It’s been one of the worst teams in the country at forcing turnovers. But this changed against the Bison, who entered averaging 15.1 giveaways this year.

Bucknell started cleanly but turned the ball over on two straight possessions at the 15-minute mark of the first. Steals by Kyle Cuffe Jr. and Jaquan Carlos led to four SU points. Midway through the half, Bascoe coughed up the rock, leading to a Majstorovic triple, putting SU up 17-12.

In the first half, Bucknell racked up nine turnovers. The Orange consistently forced the Bison to make poor passes and shots, holding them to just 31 first-half points.

Carlos and Freeman registered steals early in the second, though they didn’t amount to points. The Bison started controlling the ball, cutting the Orange’s advantage to six. However, Syracuse pulled away down the stretch, thanks to its defense. Bucknell continued to take tough shots, giving SU necessary breathing room to pull out the victory.

Taylor’s first-half shooting

Taylor, a Georgia State transfer, hasn’t made much of a mark so far with the Orange. He entered averaging 3.2 points in 17.4 minutes through SU’s first 11 games. However, he put a stamp on SU’s matchup with Bucknell in a big way.

The guard finished the first half shooting 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. He first entered with 15:39 left in the first half, immediately canning a triple after Freeman pulled down a missed Noah Williamson layup.

Taylor wasn’t involved for the next 10 minutes as Bucknell pushed to a 26-22 lead. But he catalyzed the Orange’s 16-2 run with more magic from deep. Carlos fed Taylor at the 5:26 mark, and he drained his second 3 to cut the Bison’s lead to 26-25. Two minutes later, an Edmonds turnover led to Taylor’s third triple of the day, giving him nine early points.

He failed to score in the second half, but his hot shooting in the first allowed Syracuse to build a lead it never relinquished.

Published on December 28, 2024 at 4:31 pm

Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @ Noahnuss99