Syracuse was manhandled by Maryland on Saturday in the Gotham Classic at Barclays Center in Brooklyn NY, 87-60. The score is a little deceptive, as the Terrapins (10-2) led the Orange (5-6) by at least 24 points throughout the second half, including by as many as 38.

Syracuse turned in a ghastly first half, looking like they were already on their holiday break. The Orange shot 27.6 percent from the field and finished with more turnovers (12) than field goals (eight). Maryland turned those miscues into 18 points, nearly making up their entire 26-point halftime lead.

All told, SU shot just over 43 percent in the game, but puffed up that stat by making eight straight shots well after the contest was out of hand in the second half. The Orange were undone by 21 turnovers in the game as five players had at least three miscues. The Terps converted those mistakes into 25 points in the game.

Maryland jumped out with the first five points of the game, then followed a pair of Syracuse scores with seven more markers for a 12-4 lead a little under seven minutes into the action. The Orange were their own worst enemy in that span, setting an ominous trend by turning the ball over six times in the first 5:30 of play.

The Terrapins pushed the lead to double figures just before the midpoint of the opening half and used a 7-2 burst to stretch their lead to 23-11 and force an Orange timeout. The break did not help, as Maryland tacked on a 3 to push the lead to 15.

Eddie Lampkin and Kyle Cuffe Jr. scored for SU to briefly stop the bleeding, but the Terps blew SU out over the rest of the half, writing a 17-2 run over the final four minutes and change to send the game to the break at 43-17.

The start of the second half continued the trend, as Maryland barely needed two minutes to drop a 10-2 run and push their lead to 53-19. Syracuse posted flurries or seven and eight straight points to pull within two dozen through some better 3-point shooting, but the Terrapins answered with 14 straight points to more than double up the Orange at 75-37 with 7:30 to go.

Donnie Freeman (six points) and Elijah Moore (four) did a lot of heavy lifting in a 13-2 SU run to pull within 27, but it was far too little, too late.

Moore and Freeman were absent in the first half, but each shot 6-of-8 in the second half. Moore’s effort led to his team-high total of 16 points while Freeman’s 15 all came after the break. Cuffe came off the bench to contribute ten points, while Lampkin just fell short of a double-double, finishing with nine points and ten boards.

Selton Miguel topped all scorers in the game by pouring in 24 points for Maryland, hitting six 3’s along the way. Ja’k Gillespie had a double-double of 17 points and 11 assists while Julian Reese also had one, as he finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Derrik Queen added 11 points and Rodney Rice nine.

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