spectrumlocalnews
Syracuse basketball will officially begin its regular season next week, but the team had one final exhibition game against Niagara on Saturday, and the outing did not go as smoothly as hoped. The Orange jumped out to a commanding 20-4 advantage early in the first half, yet they were unable to put the Purple Eagles away, maintaining only a narrow lead for much of the contest.
Niagara trimmed the deficit to four points midway through the second half and remained within striking distance for the majority of the game before ultimately falling 71-58. Syracuse head coach Gerry McNamara acknowledged that his team struggled with a specific action that Niagara ran repeatedly. "We got caught up in really one action that gave us a lot of trouble," McNamara said. "We've got to turn them over a little bit more." The Orange were outscored 14-7 in the turnover battle, a statistic McNamara described as "pretty bad."
McNamara also pointed to his team's offensive struggles as a compounding issue. "Right now, we're not good offensively," he said. "So it puts a lot of pressure on what we've been doing defensively." Guard Gavin Doty echoed that sentiment, noting the thin margin for error in college basketball. "The margin for error is really small, especially in college basketball," Doty said.
Syracuse's inability to shoot from beyond the arc kept Niagara in the game longer than expected. The Orange made just 6 of 25 attempts from 3-point range at the KeyBank Center. However, timely contributions from transfers Luke Wilson (Appalachian State) and Amarri Monroe (Quinnipiac) provided just enough offense. "Trying to put someone through the rim," Wilson said of his mindset. "So that was kind of my mindset today." Monroe praised the speed of Doty and fellow transfer Ryan Moesch, calling them among the fastest players he has ever played with.
Doty delivered the game's most crucial play, sealing the win with a steal and a slam dunk with just over 30 seconds remaining. He also grabbed 13 rebounds, the most among all players. McNamara noted other adjustments he needs to make, including designing specific sets for Kiyan Anthony, who finished with zero points, as well as improving rebounding and shooting efficiency.
Key Analysis
While the final score favors Syracuse, the exhibition exposed several areas of concern. The Orange's turnover margin and poor 3-point shooting allowed Niagara to stay competitive, and McNamara's comments suggest that the team's offensive execution remains a work in progress. The performances of Wilson and Monroe offer optimism, but Syracuse will need more consistency on both ends of the floor when the regular season begins. The team opens its campaign at the Dome against New Haven on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.
Originally reported by spectrumlocalnews.