Syracuse opened with a burst, built a 10-0 lead and then had to grind its way through the rest of the afternoon, but the Orange still finished the exhibition season with a 71-58 win over Niagara in Buffalo.
This was a game that quickly showed Gerry McNamara was willing to mix and match. Syracuse went small to start, rolling out Ryan Moesch, Garway Dual, Gavin Doty, Mark Morano and Luke Wilson, and that group - along with Amarri Monroe - ended up logging the heaviest workload as McNamara leaned on his bench throughout.
Doty and Wilson gave Syracuse the biggest scoring punch. Doty finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Wilson added 12.
Moesch chipped in 9 points and 6 assists. For Niagara, Logan Woods led the way with 12 points.
The Orange did the dirty work on the boards, finishing with a 43-24 rebounding edge. That advantage helped Syracuse control the interior, where it outscored Niagara 36-18 in the paint and won the second-chance battle 13-2.
Still, the offensive picture was uneven. Syracuse shot 44.8% from the field and went just 6-for-25 from 3-point range, and the absence of Aidan Tobiason left the attack looking shaky heading toward the regular season. The Orange also turned it over 14 times.
Niagara never let the game completely get away. Syracuse had a 17-point lead trimmed to 33-26 by halftime, and after that the second half was close enough that free throws in the final two minutes helped separate the teams.
Kiyan Anthony was the lone Syracuse player who did not score, going 0-for-4. Anthony, Sadiq White and Francis Folefac enter the regular season with undefined roles, while Monroe and Moesch appear positioned to move ahead of them in the rotation.
In Other News...
Former Syracuse Guard Is Suddenly One Step From The NBA
Quadir Copeland is suddenly right on the doorstep of the NBA after signing a two-way contract with the Houston Rockets, a sharp turn for a player who went undrafted but kept his name in the conversation with a strong showing in Summer League. For Syracuse fans, it is another reminder of how quickly a former Orange guard can go from college standout to a legitimate pro opportunity, especially after building his path through stops at McNeese State and North Carolina State as well.
Copeland now has a real chance to make his NBA debut soon, with Houston potentially using him in an upcoming game against the Atlanta Hawks. Even before that first appearance, the move signals how much the Rockets valued what they saw this summer, and it gives Copeland a clear opening to prove he belongs at the next level after taking the long road through college and into the professional ranks. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Faces One Big March Madness Test Under Gerry McNamara
Gerry McNamara has taken over at Syracuse with the program in a familiar spot: trying to climb back into relevance after the decision to move on from Adrian Autry. The preseason outlook is not especially kind to the Orange, either in the ACC or on the national stage, but there is at least a path for the season to mean something if the group can turn defensive growth into actual results.
Syracuses schedule gives it chances to chip away at a tournament case, which is what makes the early stretch worth watching even if an immediate surge feels like a long shot. For McNamara, the challenge is less about changing the conversation overnight and more about proving this team can string together enough quality work to keep itself in the March discussion. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Looks Sharp Early But One Orange Question Still Lingers
Syracuse came out looking organized and energetic against Niagara at KeyBank Center, using a steady first-half effort to take a 33-26 lead into the break in Buffalo. The Orange showed enough balance to keep control without having to lean on one burst, and the early minutes suggested a team settling in quickly on a neutral floor.
The first half also offered a useful snapshot of where Syracuse stands right now, with contributions spread around and the kind of pace that can make a game feel comfortable even when the margin is still modest. Still, the bigger question remains whether that early sharpness can hold up once Niagara starts making adjustments and the Orange are asked to sustain it for a full 40 minutes. [Read more 🡒]