For the first time this season, Syracuse is above .500. After a blowout season-opening loss and a blowout win, the Orange defeated Seattle in what may be their easiest contest of the season. Syracuse (2-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) routed the Redhawks (2-3), 89-67, on Saturday night in the Carrier Dome. With Joe Girard III leading all scorers with 24 points, Syracuse cruised in the NIT Season Tipoff’s campus game.

Here are takeaways from Syracuse’s win. 

Fast start 

A staple of Syracuse’s first two games was a slow offensive start while the defense steadied. Virginia rode an early-margin to victory and the Orange had to climb past an early eight point deficit against Colgate. Against Seattle, however, Syracuse didn’t need a mid-game swing to spark its offense. 

The unit clicked from tip with each starter playing the first seven minutes. They all scored and benefited from the tempo established by new starting point guard Joe Girard III. Syracuse ran components of the cyclical offense they used against Colgate, piggy-backing off the Orange’s 2015 Final Four strategy. Early in the first half, Girard corralled a defensive board, dashed up the court and dished a hockey assist to Buddy Boeheim who then fed Hughes for a 3. Hughes capped the highlight with his first air guitar celebration of the season, a light strum as he jogged back defensively. 

Syracuse connected on 10 of its first 11 shots and led by as much as 20 before halftime. 

Closing in

In the second half, Buddy curled around the bottom of Seattle’s defense and looked up to find the ball sail over his head. Hughes had targeted Buddy for a mid-range jumper, but the turnover earned a groan from the crowd. To start the frame, the Orange offense operated in the halfcourt and giveaways paired with Redhawk 3-pointers cut the lead to seven.

But on the next possession, Girard tracked down a loose ball, canvassed the court and muscled inside for a lay-in. The lead grew two possessions later when Buddy tallied his fourth assist to Marek Dolezaj. Girard swished a catch-and-shoot 3 one minute after, forcing a Seattle timeout. Syracuse led by 18 again six minutes later. 

For most of the game, Girard triggered the offense. He held the ball on nearly every transition chance, slinking through traffic and feeding an open white jersey on the perimeter. Orange head coach Jim Boeheim turned to freshman Brtcen Goodine instead of Jalen Carey all game to spell Girard. The 44-year head coach benched Carey, who didn’t play a minute on Saturday, in favor of Girard four nights prior, opting for ball security and shooting instead. Girard finished with five deep balls and earned several ovations from the crowd. 

For the first time

Syracuse, introduced as the sixth-winningest program in Division I history, hosted Seattle, Kenpom.com’s 177th-ranked team. The Redhawks and the Orange never played before and the expected result occurred. Seattle led for 21 total seconds after Myles Carter opened the scoring. Syracuse totaled more rebounds (36 to 30), points in the paint (34 to 26) and fastbreak points (14 to six), compiling highlights and stuffing the box score at every turn. 

Published on November 16, 2019 at 9:10 pm

Contact Nick: nialvare@syr.edu | @nick_a_alvarez