Syracuse left Albany with a win, but not without a few reminders about how messy exhibition basketball can get.
At MVP Arena on Sunday, the Orange edged Siena 81-76 after trailing 39-38 at the half. The afternoon opened with a ceremony honoring Siena’s 2025-26 NCAA Tournament team, a group that now has some familiar faces around Syracuse: Gerry McNamara and most of his Siena staff have moved on to the Orange, along with Gavin Doty, Francis Folefac and Tasman Goodrick.
Then came the game itself, and Siena spent much of the first half pushing Syracuse around inside.
The Saints outscored the Orange 30-14 in the paint before halftime, attacked in transition and kept getting downhill. Syracuse was also beaten on the glass early, with Siena holding a 26-19 rebounding edge in the first half. The Orange did not respond by making a bunch of perimeter shots, either, finishing the half 5-of-18 from 3-point range.
Siena, for its part, was 2-for-14 from deep in that opening half. But the Saints didn’t need the jumper to make life uncomfortable.
For Syracuse, the bigger concern in the early going was how little control it had over the game. Garwey Dual barely played in the first half and looked tentative when he was on the floor. He has been dealing with a collarbone issue, and while he brought value on defense and on the boards, he didn’t look comfortable running the offense.
That has pushed Ryan Moesch into a bigger role, and he continues to get a fast education as a Division I point guard. He played 30 minutes against UConn and then logged 14 first-half minutes against Siena, with the offense looking more settled when he was out there.
Moesch had moments, and he had some growing pains. He hit 2 of 5 from 3 in the first half, which stood out on a night when Syracuse was still searching for reliable shooting.
He also continued to show a tendency to float runners in the lane instead of taking the more direct route that coaches have been asking for. After the UConn game, he said he’d been told to go off two feet, and that’s still the next step.
Still, he kept creating opportunities and finished with 11 points, six rebounds and five assists against just two turnovers.
There was also a flashpoint in the second half when Moesch took a fast-break chance himself and missed a finger roll. McNamara was not pleased and wanted the pass instead.
Syracuse was better after halftime, especially because Dual became far more active. He stole a ball and scored at the rim, hit a jump shot in the lane, set up Gavin Doty for a 3 and later grabbed a defensive rebound before pushing the break himself and finishing with a jumper.
He also collected another defensive board and found Amarri Monroe in transition. By that point, Dual had eight points, four rebounds and a steal in just nine minutes of game action.
That second-half burst offered a much different look than the opening period, even if Dual still appears to be working his way back into shape. Syracuse opened the half with more purpose, and Dual was at the center of it before eventually coming out.
Mark Morano also gave the Orange a jolt. The freshman, who sat out the UConn exhibition with a lower leg issue, was in uniform and got his first taste of game action in the United States.
He looked nervous early, even as he knocked down the first unofficial 3 of his Syracuse career in the opening half. But the second half belonged to him.
McNamara went smaller at times, and Morano handled the ball, drove, scored, buried a very deep 3 and then hit two more triples. He also spun to the rim for a dunk late in the game, adding another layer to what Syracuse hopes is a valuable scoring package. He closed with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 4-of-6 from 3, plus two late free throws.
Siena had plenty of punch of its own. Tim Ibukunoluwa, a 6-foot-8 freshman from Australia who played at Orangeville Prep near Toronto, was a problem all afternoon.
He finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds, using his size and activity to give Syracuse fits. Trent Egbiremolen, another Siena freshman, added 19 points.
The Saints had eight freshmen on their roster.
Syracuse got 20 points from Doty, who also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, tied with Luke Wilson, and made 9 of 10 free throws. The Orange needed those free throws at the end, because Siena kept coming.
The Saints trimmed the lead to 75-74 with 1:27 left on an Ibunkunoluwa basket after a transition push, but Syracuse steadied itself and closed it out at the line.
There were some injury-related absences worth noting, too. Aiden Tobiason did not suit up after appearing to tweak a hamstring or glute against Connecticut and is listed as day-to-day.
Brendan Coyle was out for Siena with an undisclosed injury. Goodrick also did not play after starting against UConn, and Kiyan Anthony played eight first-half minutes before sitting the rest of the way.
Syracuse also piled up fouls, with Sadiq White and Luke Wilson both getting into trouble. By the finish, Francis Folefac and Amarri Monroe were the Orange’s big men on the floor. Siena attempted and made more free throws than Syracuse.
And yes, the Saints still have a real St. Bernard mascot.
Late in the game, when Siena made a push and Syracuse called timeout, Baloo trotted across the court to “Who let the dogs out?” playing in the background.
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