Did we discover a couple of go-to players?
The Syracuse Orange survived another game that should have been a loss when they out-lasted the Youngstown State Penguins in double overtime yesterday. With the win the Orange move to 3-0 but what should we take from this one:
A Star(ling) is Born
We’ve wondered who would be the go-to guy for this year’s Orange and JJ Starling took center stage on Saturday. Starling was aggressive attacking the rim as he poured in a career-high of 38 points on 14-23 shooting. The 8-12 free-throw shooting could be better (more on that later), but Starling played 49 minutes and in addition to his offense, he contributed 7 rebounds.
The Orange will need a player willing to take the tough shots, but even more so they need JJ to do a bit more on the defensive end his effort on the boards helped Syracuse enjoy a 50-35 rebounding advantage.
Eddie Dishes
We knew that Eddie Lampkin likes to serve meals and we saw how much he likes to serve out assists. Lampkin had 20 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists and dominated the paint in the second overtime. It’s nice that the Orange have a player that they can feed down low and find success.
We won’t overlook the 4-12 from the foul line, but Lampkin’s ability to initiate offense and deliver energy helped avoid disaster.
— No Context College Basketball (@ContextFreeCBB) November 16, 2024
Sloppy Syracuse
Maybe the Orange were looking forward to a dinner at Truffoni’s because they were way too sloppy in the first overtime. After building an eight-point lead with 1:15 to play, Syracuse poured water all over their plates and couldn’t hold the lead even though it was still a five-point advantage with 32 seconds to play. Through three games, Syracuse’s defense, free-throw shooting and careless ball-handling has allowed each opponent to close strong.
With a team that looks like it will be scratching for every win, the Orange have got to learn how to close out games. Maybe the poise they displayed in the second overtime, along with the 7-8 foul shooting down the stretch will snap them out of this early-season funk.
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What were your takeaways from the game?