Syracuse needed double overtime, a career-high from J.J. Starling, and a near triple-double from Eddie Lampkin Jr., but those three things were enough for them to escape with a 104-95 double overtime victory at the JMA Wireless Dome over Youngstown State. Starling’s 38 points, including 21 in the second half, did a lot of heavy lifting, but Lampkin’s seven points, two boards, and assist in the second extra session pushed the Orange (3-0) over the top against the Penguins (1-2).
SU overcame a slow start, as they mustered just 31 points in trailing at halftime by seven. They shot just over 35 percent from the field in that span, but they shot 25-of-39 (64.1 percent) the rest of the way. Syracuse finished with a 50-35 advantage in rebounding in the game, including snaring 13 offensive rebounds and exchanging them for 17 points.
Starling (nine points) and Donnie Freeman (six) combined for all the scoring as the Orange opened the second half by outscoring the Penguins, 15-8, to tie the game at 46 a side less than seven minutes out of the break. YSU nailed a trey to jump back in front, but Starling and Freeman each did the same to boost SU in front, 52-49.
The guests scrapped right back and neither team led by more than two points until Youngstown State stitched together five straight markers for a 62-58 lead with under 4:30 to go. Syracuse immediately responded by tying the game, then answered a Penguin trey with two buckets for a 68-67 lead with under two minutes on the clock.
The squads traded one-point leads until Starling made one-of-two foul shots to tie the game at 71 with 40 seconds to go. YSU took the lead at 73-71 and called time out with 12 seconds left to set their defense.
Starling took the inbound pass and went right through that defense for a lay-up to knot it at 73 with 8.6 seconds left. The Penguins turned it over on their possession and Jaquan Carlos’ heave from beyond midcourt missed everything, sending the game to overtime.
Youngstown State scored first in the extra session, but the Orange responded with a 13-3 run, led by Starling’s six points, for an 86-78 lead with 75 seconds on the clock. The Penguins owned that remaining time, though, getting two 3’s from Juwan Maxey and two foul shots with 7.3 seconds to force a second overtime at 86-86.
Lampkin put SU up for good when he kicked an offensive rebound to Moore in the corner for a 3-pointer, then beat everyone downcourt for a lay-up and a 91-87 lead. Syracuse was able to fend off the Penguins from there, icing things by making six-of-six from the line in the final minute.
Starling went 14-of-23 from the field, including 9-of-11 in the second half, in rolling up his 38 points. Lampkin finished with 20 points to go with 13 rebounds and seven assists. Freeman also had a double-double, tallying 19 points and a dozen rebounds. Chris Bell chipped in nine points.
E.J. Farmer topped Youngstown State with 26 points while Nico Galette finished with 21. Ty Harper added 17 points while Jason Nelson his three triples for most of his ten points. Maxey finished with nine points to aid the Penguin cause.
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