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Syracuse Men's Basketball: Five Takeaways From Lopsided Win vs. Central Connecticut
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- Syracuse Men's Basketball: Five Takeaways From Lopsided Win vs. Central Connecticut
(Rich Barnes-Imagn Images)
Just three days after beating New Haven by 16 points, the Syracuse Orange men's basketball team rolled over visiting Central Connecticut State, beating the Blue Devils 102-49 at the JMA Wireless Dome on Thursday.
With the win, the Orange are 2-0 under new head coach Gerry McNamara. CCSU is now 0-2.
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Here's what you need to know from the victory. The takeaways are in no particular order.
Orange finish much better in this one
In the final two preseason games, and in the season opener, Syracuse had trouble finishing the game and playing a full 40 minutes. Not in this one.
The Orange led by 24 points at the half and kept their foot on the gas in the second half, outscoring Central Connecticut State by 29 more.
McNamara is a stickler for not taking plays off and not going through periods of lapses. This game should make him happy as the Orange stayed focused and engaged throughout.
3-point shooting shows growth
This team will be a better shooting team when Aiden Tobiason is back healthy , but Gavin Doty connected on three 3-pointers and Mark Morano went 4-of-9. As a team, Syracuse was 9-of-21 (43 percent), which is a solid spot to be, especially without one of your top options.
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Doty had 18 points to lead all scorers. Morano had 16.
Returners step up again
Throughout the preseason, this group needed more from both Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White Jr. Both players played well on Monday, and both players did the same in this game. White went for eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds, also picking up two blocks.
And Anthony scored 14 points in 18 minutes off the bench. He was 6-of-10 from the floor and also added four rebounds. His newfound strength showed as well in a few takes to the basket.
More impact from the bigs
Luke Wilson scored 14 points and pulled down three rebounds while Tasman Goodrick had eight points in 10 minutes off the bench. The group still needs to rebound better, but the fact that they were active is important and helps diversify the attack for McNamara's team.
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Point guard play
McNamara said that he thought freshman Ryan Moesch played " terrible" on Monday. Well, he had six points and seven assists in this game, and while he had two turnovers, he continues to show flashes of brilliance. Garwey Dual had eight points and four assists, and he picked up a steal too.
Up next
The Orange will get their first taste of high major action on Monday night when they take on Indiana in Indianapolis.
