Syracuse didn’t just beat Central Connecticut State on Thursday night. It controlled the game from the opening tip and never let go, rolling to a 102-49 win at the JMA Wireless Dome.
That kind of finish was a sharp turn from what Syracuse had shown in three exhibitions and in Monday’s 74-58 season-opening win over New Haven. This time, the Orange looked locked in for all 40 minutes.
The 102 points marked Syracuse’s highest total since a 102-85 win over Albany on Dec. 10, 2024.
It was also the most the Orange had scored since putting up 105 in a 105-56 win over Chaminade on Nov. 22, 2023.
Syracuse set the tone early, building a 30-13 lead midway through the first half and never giving Central Connecticut a path back in. The Orange carried a 47-23 advantage into halftime, then came out of the break with a 22-5 surge that pushed the lead to 69-30 with 12 minutes left.
The win moved Syracuse to 2-0. After opening with a pair of home games against low-major opponents, the schedule stiffens quickly with a trip to Indiana in Indianapolis next Monday and a matchup with St.
John’s at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Nov. 15.
Central Connecticut, which opened its season with a 68-56 loss to Temple, dropped to 0-2.
Fulton’s Gavin Doty, the 6-foot-5 transfer from Siena, led Syracuse with 18 points, but Gerry McNamara got production from plenty of places. Freshman Mark Morano added 16 points, with four of his nine 3-point attempts falling. Kiyan Anthony scored 14 off the bench after putting up 17 against New Haven.
Luke Wilson finished with 14 points, including nine in the first half, while Sadiq White added eight points and 10 rebounds in only 22 minutes.
Syracuse’s defense was just as sharp. Central Connecticut shot 34% from the field and made only three of 18 attempts from beyond the arc.
The Orange were especially efficient in the first half, shooting 58% overall and going 17-for-29 from the floor on the way to the 47-23 halftime lead. They also used a 12-0 run to turn an 18-11 edge into a 30-13 cushion.
Most of Syracuse’s damage came in the paint. The Orange attacked the rim, worked inside the arc and finished 14 of 19 shots from two-point range in the first half, while going just 3-for-10 from 3-point distance.
Wilson and White set the tone inside. White had eight points and nine rebounds before halftime, while Wilson looked far more assertive than he had in Monday’s opener and scored nine first-half points of his own.
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