Instant Juice: Syracuse 101, South Carolina State 59

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Syracuse defeated Maryland in an entertaining back-and-forth game
Battle
Battle and Syracuse remained undefeated in 2016

A quick take on Syracuse’s 101-59 win over South Carolina State in the Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational on Tuesday evening:

WHAT HAPPENED: After South Carolina State’s Ed Stephens opened the game with a 3-pointer 30 seconds into the game, the Orange held the Bulldogs scoreless until the 13:54 in the first half. By that point, the Orange jumped out to a 15-3 lead and took a 46-31 lead into halftime. Syracuse completely ran away with the game in the second half, outscoring the Bulldogs 55-28, turning the ball over just twice.

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ANALYSIS: Syracuse displayed its offensive versatility, with all nine scholarship players logging at least four points, and six different players in double digits. The Orange was able to top the century mark for the first time since Dec. 8, 2012 after shooting 55 percent from the field and 12-23 from downtown. On defense, Syracuse limited the Bulldogs to 27.5 percent shooting on the night and dominated the paint, holding a +22 advantage on the glass.

HERO: Plenty of heroes to choose from, with Howard (10 points, 11 assists), Andrew White (15 points), Tyler Roberson (13 points, 12 rebounds), John Gillon (14 points), Taurean Thompson (12 points) and Tyler Lydon (14 points, 10 rebounds) all in double figures.

ZERO: It’s hard to find any flaw in such a lopsided win, but Syracuse’s press, which was invaluable to its Final Four run last year, still needs work. SU spent a lot of the first half in press and could only generate six turnovers, and 10 overall. The Orange was also 14-21 from the free throw line, which won’t matter against an early season opponent, but will be a critical factor later in the year.

WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse heads down to New York City to play at the Barclay’s Center against South Carolina on Saturday afternoon.

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About Wes Cheng 2907 Articles
Wes has worked for Rivals.com covering the New York Knicks, as well as for Scout.com covering Syracuse athletics. Wes has also been a contributing writer for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), for SportsNet New York (SNY) as a news desk writer covering all of New York professional sports, and reported on the NBA and MLB for the New York Sportscene. A native of Long Island, New York, Wes graduated from Syracuse University in 2005 with a degree in journalism. Contact him at wes[at]sujuiceonline.com.