Three takeaways and Eddie Lampkin’s status following Syracuse basketball’s 82-72 win over Cornell

Syracuse just gets past another CNY team at home.

The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team (4-2) once again had to overcome a slow start, but picked up the intensity on both ends of the floor to defeat the Cornell Big Red (4-3) by a final score of 82-72.

In the 129th all-time meeting against its second most common opponent, Syracuse rode its freshmen to victory as Donnie Freeman posted a career-high 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Elijah Moore also scored a career-high with 19 points on 5-7 outside shooting to go with seven rebounds. Petar Majstorovic had two points and five rebounds in the first half.

Syracuse shot 30-73 from the floor and 5-13 from outside, the latter effort (makes) led entirely by Moore. The Orange have improved from the free throw line, finishing 17-20 from the charity stripe in this game.

Cornell took 40 of its 62 field goal attempts from three, making 12 (30%). The Orange won the rebounding battle 48-35 and had a points in the paint edge of 40-24. The Syracuse bench outscored Cornell’s 32-10 as Syracuse earned its 44th straight victory over the Big Red.

To the takeaways.

Slow starts continue

Syracuse’s proclivity to come out flat after the opening tip is becoming problematic. The Orange fell behind 10-0 to Cornell, continuing a theme of slow starts. The Orange have had similar struggles in previous games, including falling behind 9-0 versus Texas, 11-5 versus Youngstown State and 17-8 versus Le Moyne. Worse, Syracuse looked much-improved in its two games in Brooklyn last week, but took a step backward on Wednesday night.

“Coming into this game I thought we made some progress as a team in New York,” Adrian Autry said in his opening statement. “That wasn’t the case today. We took steps backwards. Guys that are not gonna play with heart and not gonna do the things we ask them to do will not play. That’s the bottom line.”

Syracuse needs to come out engaged with defensive intensity from the opening tip. Much easier said than done, but if the Orange dig themselves into a hole next week at Tennessee, it might prove too deep to climb out of. Good teams make you pay.

Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Lampkin limited

Syracuse center Eddie Lampkin was limited in this game to a season-low nine minutes. Lampkin, who limped through Syracuse’s second game of the Legends Classic against Texas Tech, did not start for the first time this season. Jyare Davis replaced him.

“Eddie, he wasn’t 100 percent,” Autry said.

Lampkin has been dealing with a back issue.

Syracuse has alternatives in the middle, including small-ball options with Freeman and Majstorovic or it can turn to last year’s starter in 7-foot-4 Naheem McLeod. The Orange will not look to exercise those options for extended minutes if it doesn’t have to.

Syracuse’s next game is on Tuesday at Tennesee for the ACC/SEC Challenge when the Orange travel to Knoxville to take on what could be a top five team once the new rankings come out.

“Eddie will be ready to go on Tuesday,” Autry said.

Freshmen are growing

The Syracuse freshmen carried the weight of the load in the first half on the offensive end.

Autry went with Davis in the starting five, supplanting Lampkin. With the Colorado transfer limited, Majstorovic saw more time and provided a good lift in the first half. He and Moore saw a season-high in minutes. Freeman played most of the game and finished with a career-high.

“I thought Donnie, you know, realized he had an advantage inside. He went inside and he scored. Obiously some stuff defensively as a freshman he’s going to make some hiccups. I understand that,” Autry said.

Autry said Moore is also making mistakes defensively, typical for freshman, but his shotmaking and effort were what mattered.

“I thought Choppa [Moore] — we’re not shooting the ball well — he came in and he hit five threes and that was big,” Autry said.

All in, the freshmen combined to score 44 of Syracuse’s 82 points, hauled in 24 of Syracuse’s 48 rebounds and dished out five of Syracuse’s 13 assists.