Syracuse used a late first half run to grab control, then pounded Oregon inside to grab an 83-63 victory at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Orange (8-3) shot 56.6 percent overall and 73.1 percent in the second half as they pulled away from a shorthanded Ducks (7-3) team that had only seven scholarship players available.
SU showed the virtue in the two-point shot, as they enjoyed a 50-28 advantage in points in the paint. Oregon, on the other hand, struggled from long range, making just 4-of-27 3-point shots on the day. That 14.8 percent proficiency mark tanked their overall shooting, as they finished at 36.1 percent from the floor.
Both teams were sloppy with the ball, committing 19 turnovers in the game.
A slow start hindered Syracuse, as they started 1-for-11 from the field, allowing Oregon to build a 14-4 lead over the opening seven minutes. The Orange defense then came to life, holding the Ducks without a field goal for almost four minutes of play, and the offense followed.
SU got the lid off the basket, eventually making five straight shots, including getting a pair of triples as part of eight points from Kyle Cuffe Jr. All told, Syracuse put together a 13 -1 run for their first lead at 17-15 with just under nine minutes until halftime.
Oregon did nose out to a one-point lead on two occasions, but SU responded to the second threat with a 12-3 run for a 31-23 lead. Syracuse got the first six points of the burst, then J.J. Starling responded to a Duck trey with one of his own and a layup for his five points in the run. Each team added a dunk in the final minute of the half and the Orange held a 33-25 halftime lead.
SU made that late run stand up through the second half by slicing up the Oregon defense inside. The Orange made 19-of-26 shots from the field after the break, including a dozen layups and three dunks as they poured in 34 second half points in the paint.
The two teams played evenly over the first five minutes and change, then Syracuse started pulling away with a 7-1 run in just under two minutes of play for a 51-37 lead. The Ducks got within a dozen twice, but the Orange ran off a 12-4 run made entirely of dunks and layups for a 65-45 lead with just under eight minutes remaining.
SU coasted to the final horn from there, pushing the lead out to 24 points at one point.
Judah Mintz led all scorers in the game with 18 points, posting 14 of those markers in the second half, while also grabbing four steals. Quadir Copeland added 15 points and nine rebounds while Starling added 14 points. Maliq Brown chipped in with 13 points and also had four steals.
Kwame Evans Jr. led Oregon with 17 points and eight rebounds. Jackson Shelstad had 16 points, but made just 2-of-10 3-pointers. Kario Oquendo added 11 points.
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