Syracuse Hoops are Back in Action

By Mason Katz

Syracuse took down New Haven 74-58 in the season opener last night in the Dome. 23,283 fans packed the JMA Wireless Dome for the beginning of “The McNamera.” The largest opening night attendance in 10 years for Syracuse Basketball.

Leading the Orange were Kiyan Anthony who scored 17 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, and Sienna transfer Gavin Doty had 14 points and 13 rebounds in his Syracuse debut. Sophomore Forward Sadiq White Jr. was also dominant in the game, recording a 14 point double double and 2 blocked shots.

Syracuse came out strong in the first half with a 39-17 lead heading into the break. The Orange were dominant on defense, racking up 6 blocks and 8 forced turnovers for New Haven.  

However, offensive struggles continued to occur. Syracuse shot 7-27 (25.93%) from the field, and a rough 2-10 (20%) from three to end the first half.  The leading scorer for the Orange at the break was Gavin Doty, who led the team with 10. 

The second half was a bit different for the Orange. Syracuse shot the ball well, shooting 16-27 (59.26%) from the field, and 5-11 (45.45%) from behind the arc. Their problem was the defensive side of the ball. Syracuse was outscored by New Haven 41-35 in the latter half, which created some issues for Head Coach Gerry Mcnamara and his team. 

Syracuse was able to pull away with the victory and begin the season 1-0 at home. The next matchup for the Orange will be this Thursday, Nov. 5 where they face the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils in the Dome. Syracuse is favored to win this game and start off 2-0 in the early season.

ACC play does not begin until December 29th versus Florida State, so Syracuse has time to prepare and be ready for those critical games as we get deeper into the season.