Syracuse didn’t just beat Central Connecticut on Thursday night. It ran right through the Blue Devils, built a huge cushion early and kept pushing until the final score landed at 102-49 in the JMA Wireless Dome.
The Orange were already in control by halftime, up 47-23, and the lead only ballooned from there. By the first second-half timeout, Syracuse had stretched it to 55-25, a sign that Gerry McNamara was intent on keeping the pressure on after a rough second half in the opener.
The most obvious difference from Syracuse’s previous game was the shot quality. The Orange went 17-of-28 in the first half, with only a couple possessions that looked out of place.
Mark Morano set the tone there, scoring 10 before the break while going 2-of-6 from 3. He finished with 16 points in 22 minutes and made 4-of-9 from deep.
Morano wasn’t the only perimeter threat to show up. Gavin Doty gave Syracuse a major lift, going 3-of-5 from 3 and finishing with a game-high 18 points in 26 minutes. He shot 7-for-9 overall and looked like a real second option from outside.
Inside, Syracuse did exactly what it should have done against a lower-level Division I opponent. The Orange dominated the paint, outscoring Central Connecticut 26-10 there in the first half and 54-24 for the game.
Luke Wilson was a big part of that. Before the opening tip, Arinze Onuaku pulled him aside for a conversation, and Wilson responded with nine first-half points and 14 overall.
Syracuse kept feeding him near the left low block, where he could use a power dribble and get to the rim.
Sadiq White was just as active in his own way. He scored eight points before halftime, but his work on the glass stood out even more.
White had nine rebounds in the first half and finished with 10, continuing what has been a much more aggressive two-game stretch on the boards. Syracuse won the rebounding battle 25-11 in the first half and 45-20 overall.
Kiyan Anthony also turned in a solid all-around game. He scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, added four rebounds and an assist, and showed better shot selection along with a willingness to defend. At one point in the first half, he held a Blue Devil on the perimeter, and McNamara responded with a long clap from the sideline.
At point guard, Ryan Moesch got the bulk of the first-half minutes and looked more comfortable running the offense. He played nearly 15 minutes before halftime, compared with Garwey Dual’s 5:44, and finished with four assists and a turnover.
Moesch ended with seven assists, while Dual struggled early on defense before settling in after the break. Dual assisted on two made 3s, hit a 3 of his own, drew a foul on the play and made the free throw.
The two guards shared the floor for a meaningful stretch late in the game.
Syracuse’s defense made life miserable for Central Connecticut, though it was hard to tell how much of that was the Orange’s size and physical edge versus the actual pressure they were applying. The Blue Devils opened the second half 1-for-6 and were 2-of-11 by the 12:46 mark. They did get a few cleaner looks after Syracuse briefly lost focus, including a lob and a couple drives, but by then the game was long out of reach at 73-34.
Central Connecticut finished at 35% from the field. Syracuse shot 64% overall and 43% from 3.
One of the night’s best sequences came when Doty picked off a pass, pushed the break and found Tasman Goodrick before getting the ball right back for a layup. It was the kind of easy, unselfish transition bucket that fit the way Syracuse played all night.
Jim Boeheim was back in the Dome as a spectator, along with Felisha Legette-Jack and former teammate and assistant coach Sue Ludwig.
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