Syracuse won its first game of the 2024-25 season, defeating Le Moyne, 86-82.
Here are the key takeaways from the win.
Mistakes prove costly at start
Syracuse fell behind early despite their more complicated offensive actions relying on fluidity and constant movement generating several easy looks.
They were undermined by some silly mistakes (J.J. Starling traveling getting a pass on the secondary break, Chris Bell stepping on the sideline when starting a drive, Eddie Lampkin Jr. getting left behind in transition when correcting a teammate after a turnover) in letting Le Moyne grab their early lead.
Bench makes immediate impact
Jyare Davis and Petar Majstorovic provided an instant injection on offense when they came into the game early. Davis hit Majstorovic with an easy bounce pass for a bucket when the latter’s defender turned his head and Majstorovic cut for the basket. Davis then converted a three-point play and drew a foul posting up a couple possessions later.
Lampkin also made a slick pass, slipping a wraparound to Davis for a dunk in the late Orange run that gave them a lead they would not relinquish.
Davis provides a big spark
Davis’ physicality provided an immediate spark for the Orange. He grabbed seven rebounds in the first half, including three on the offensive end, and also showed a willingness to throw his weight around on offense.
Starling the go-to guy
Starling was given the honors of taking the final shot late in the game with SU only up two, suggesting he will be the go-to guy on the team.
Le Moyne's hot first half
Le Moyne shot almost 47 percent in the first half compared to Syracuse making just 31.6 percent of their attempts. Much of that was done inside the arc, as the Dolphins were 12-of-20 (60 percent) on their two-point shots. SU, meanwhile, was 10-of-25 (40 percent) inside the arc. The guests finished 19-of-32 (59.4 percent) inside the arc for the game.
Autry's bench usage
Majstorovic saw 5:28 of action in the first half and Elijah Moore played 1:58 in his first game. Kyle Cuffe Jr. and Naheem McLeod did not play in the game.
The undersized Dolphins were not a great matchup for McLeod, who has difficulty guarding players who are on the move.
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