Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

Across Syracuse’s recent three-game skid, it’s seen both blowouts and nail-biters. A 14-point loss to Clemson on Jan. 22 was far closer on the scoreboard than reality. The Orange once trailed by 24 and couldn’t recover.

Three days later, SU emerged strong in the first half against Pitt but faltered in the second half for a four-point loss. Hitting the West Coast, Syracuse fell 17-0 to Stanford and again couldn’t climb back, closing the month of January at 3-5.

To conclude their West Coast trip and open the month of February, the Orange took down Cal for a huge cushion in their quest to qualify for the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. A 17-point first-half advantage spurred by dominant rebounding, strong defensive play and efficient 3-point shooting pushed Syracuse to a comfortable lead it never relinquished.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (10-12, 4-7 ACC) 75-66 win over Cal (11-11, 4-7 ACC) Saturday night in Berkeley:

Battle on the glass

Syracuse’s rebounding prowess has been one of its top attributes despite its poor season. SU head coach Adrian Autry acknowledged it as one of its consistencies, and the statistics match his feelings. SU ranks fifth in the ACC with 37.6 rebounds per game and a total of 27.0 defensive rebounds per game.

The Golden Bears, however, are just as dominant on the glass. Cal entered Saturday’s contest averaging the most offensive rebounds per game, notching 13.3 per contest. Out of the gate, it was Syracuse’s rebounding that allowed it to jump out to a 9-0 lead.

Jyáre Davis and Elijah Moore each notched two rebounds through the first four minutes. As Cal began 0-for-4 from 3, SU’s 9-2 rebounding advantage fueled its fire. Eddie Lampkin Jr. used his strength inside to dominate, largely against Cal center Mady Sissoko. With minutes to play in the first half, Petar Majstorovic missed a floater inside, but Lampkin boxed Sissoko under the basket, corralled the rebound and finished to extend the lead to 37-20.

At the half, the once-dominant Cal rebounding unit turned all Orange. SU led 24-13 overall in rebounding while grabbing 17 defensive rebounds.

The Golden Bears cut into the rebounding margin in the second half as they attempted to spur a large comeback. A 24-18 advantage made the total closer, but SU’s first-half advantage carried it to an important victory.

Finding the bucket

Cal was without leading scorer Andrej Stojaković for the fourth-straight game. In his absence, Jeremiah Wilkinson has emerged as a top threat, totaling 64 points combined across the last three games. Against SU, the Golden Bears searched for Wilkinson and other contributors to get on the scoreboard.

Wilkinson totaled five of Cal’s first nine points through the first eight minutes, finding nylon from 3. The Golden Bears struggled from there. Wilkinson’s 3-point shooting woes led to a 2-for-13 total for the team overall 16 minutes in. Jovan Blacksher Jr. scored largely from the free-throw line.

The Golden Bears overall had a horrific scoring half. Wilkinson and Blacksher combined for 3-for-13 from the field and 2-for-10 from beyond the arc. Cal was 4-for-23 from the field, scoring 56.5% of its points from the charity stripe.

Wilkinson came out in the second half with a vengeance. First, a ferocious dunk skying through the air brought a quick spark to the Golden Bears. Then, a wild stepback 3 rattled around the rim before dropping in to cut Cal’s deficit to seven and cap an 11-0 run.

Cal, however, began to falter again, allowing Syracuse to push its lead back to 17. The Golden Bears, led by Blacksher, sparked another 11-0 run midway through the second half. The duo of Wilkinson and Blacksher totaled 40 points. The rest of the team? Just 26.

Inside presence

Naheem McLeod totaled a season-high nine minutes Saturday and played in both halves for the first time this year.

McLeod substituted in with just over 12 minutes to play and stayed in for four minutes. In the stretch, he helped a different-looking lineup with Jaquan Carlos, Kyle Cuffe Jr., Chris Bell and Majstorovic hold Cal off the scoreboard and execute offensively for a 9-2 run.

McLeod played in just six games this year, totaling four points and two rebounds in 16 minutes. His seven-foot-four frame is a large advantage, but he’s struggled to ever find a rhythm with the Orange. Last season, McLeod had 14.4 minutes and 3.9 points per game, building off his first two college seasons with Florida State.

Against the Golden Bears, he used his inside presence while allowing Lampkin to take a breather, making SU even more effective across the first half of play. With 9:52 to play in the opening half, McLeod corralled a defensive rebound, pushed the ball up the floor and hit Bell, who capitalized with a triple. The 3 pushed SU’s lead to 23-10.

When Lampkin did return, his fresh legs became a hassle inside. McLeod, meanwhile, totaled a plus-eight mark. Donnie Freeman missed his eighth-straight game due to a right leg injury, putting more pressure on Davis, Lampkin and McLeod to stand out. The trio, even in McLeod’s limited minutes, didn’t disappoint and held its ground.

3-point disparity

Where Syracuse built its first-half lead was with its shooting from 3 mixed with Cal’s noticeable weakness from range. SU was an efficient 5-for-9 from beyond the arc through the first 20 minutes.

Sharpshooting freshman Moore converted twice on three attempts. Lucas Taylor and Bell both took their open looks and didn’t miss. J.J. Starling’s 1-for-3 mark diminished the average, but Cal was far worse.

Outside of Wilkinson and Blacksher’s one 3 each, the Golden Bears went 2-for-14 from 3. Cal hit two early 3s in the second half but again fell back to reality. The Golden Bears went 4-for-21 from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes, while Syracuse was again efficient.

Taylor’s 3-for-5 night from deep pushed him to a team-high 19 points.

Wilkinson went 1-for-8 in the second half from deep as Cal tried to cut its deficit more. In the end, a horrid 6-for-35 night from 3 propelled the Golden Bears to their second straight defeat.

Published on February 2, 2025 at 12:29 am

Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky