Syracuse needed two overtimes to put away Youngstown State as the Orange won 104-95.

The Orange moved to 3-0 on the season and will take on Texas on Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Here are five storylines from the double overtime win.

JJ Starling asserted himself as Syracuse's go-to guy as he dropped 38 points and willed Syracuse to the finish line down the stretch.

The junior from Baldwinsville had gotten off to a slow start on the year averaging just 13 points in the first two games. Against the Penguins, Starling was aggressive going to the rim, finishing 14-23 from the field. He only went 2-7 from 3-point range but the two he made were both key to sparking the offense in the second half.

“We kind of stopped running [other offensive plays] and just got the ball in the middle of the court and let JJ go to work. And when players have that look, as a coach, you know,” Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry said.

Starling had 10 points in the last five minutes of the second half and added a highlight reel assist to Freeman in transition. He also scored six of the 13 Syracuse points in the first overtime as he was clutch late in the game, sitting just 53 seconds and played 49 minutes.

"It was all adrenaline," Starling said after he logged 49 minutes.

Syracuse’s bigs went to work early as the Penguin’s center Gave Dynes spent much of the first half in foul trouble.

With Dynes off the floor and Youngstown State without another player taller than 6’9”, the Orange consistently attacked the basket. Youngstown State tried slowing SU down by double teaming center Eddie Lampkin in the post.

But Lampkin made them pay, as he finished with a team-high seven assists.

“[Lampkin] is a big reason why we're still scoring right now because of that," Autry said. "Getting some [rebounds] on the offensive glass, and when they double, getting one or two dump offs. So he generates some easy points."

In the second half Dynes was in four trouble again, picking up his fourth foul with 13 minutes to go. Even when Dynes returned, he could not play as aggressively which meant easier buckets for Lampkin and Starling in the paint.

The overall size advantage for the Orange allowed them to drive to the basket and draw fouls. SU shot 38 free throws on the afternoon.

Syracuse's freshman class of Donnie Freeman, Petar Majstorovic and Elijah Moore all played extended minutes as the game stretched into two overtimes and SU's top rotation players started fouling out.

Majstorovic finished with two points and three rebounds in four minutes, looking the most comfortable he had all year.

Moore played 16 minutes and knocked down his first collegiate 3-pointer, and finished with five points.

But the biggest day was reserved for Freeman, who played 38 minutes and finished with a career-high 19 points on 8-13 from the field.

His development in just three games was apparent as he hit a 3-pointer in the second half and two big free throws in the second overtime. He was tied for the second highest efficiency on the team only trailing Starling and was second in points per minute.

He also added 12 rebounds and notched a key block in crunch time.

“This was an intense game. With me having limited college experience sometimes you have to learn stuff on the fly, so that is what I did today and it worked out,” Freeman said.

With JJ Starling scoring at will and commanding the offense, Autry opted to play Lucas Taylor, a shooting guard, in favor of Jaquan Carlos, a point guard, with Syracuse not in need of another ball-handler.

As a result, Taylor played a season-high in minutes with 19. His offensive contributions were limited as his only shot attempt from the field was a dunk and he made all of his four free throws.

But Lucas struggled on the defensive end, and was caught several times losing his man on rotations. He fouled out in just 19 minutes.

This prompted Carlos’ return to the court, where he played 30 out of 50 minutes. Carlos struggled offensively, going 1-6 from the field and missing two free throws in overtime allowing Youngstown State to force a second overtime. Like Lucas, he also fouled out.

In three games Syracuse has had a four-point win, a two-point win and a double overtime win all at home against lesser opponents. They trailed at the half in two games and could have lost all three at the buzzer.

In the first overtime Syracuse was up by eight with just over a minute left but then gave up two 3-pointers, got blocked on a jumper, missed two free throws and gave up two free throws to force double overtime.

It was a familiar frustration for the home fans who have yet to see this talented Syracuse roster play consistently to their ability.

Autry knows his team has to improve but he’s taken a glass-half-full approach.

“We could have easily folded in this game, and we didn’t both times," Autry said. "I think the composure of this team, as you all can tell, in these first three games, is pretty unshakeable. Do we have to get better off? Yes, but I'm just going to congratulate my team and try to get ready for what's ahead and continue to get better."

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