A quick take on Syracuse’s 87-51 win over Colgate on Sunday afternoon:
WHAT HAPPENED: Colgate couldn’t get anything going inside the 3-point arc, and only shot 9-of-28 from downtown, allowing the Orange to pull away in the second half on a career day from Michael Carter-Williams. If you were betting college basketball, Syracuse covered the spread.
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ANALYSIS: Colgate never really managed to attack the zone consistently, shooting just 4 free throws on the day and, while they put up a fight, simply couldn’t match up with the Orange.
HERO: Michael Carter-Williams came out looking to distribute early. He assisted on the first 9 SU buckets and finished the game with a career-high 13 helpers to go along with 8 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals to just 1 turnover. James Southerland scored 18 off the bench on 7-of-12 shooting to lead the Orange. Southerland was the main beneficiary of Carter-Williams’ playmaking early on, hitting open 3s and throwing down alley-oops tossed by the sophomore point guard. DaJuan Coleman had his best game with the Orange, finishing with a career-high 12 points, 7 boards, and just 1 turnover.
» Related: Michael Carter-Williams is SU’s new floor general
ZERO: As a team, Colgate shot 19-of-56 and had difficulty getting inside against the Orange’s length and perimeter quickness. Colgate’s Pat Moore shot 3-12 from the field, scoring 8 points, though he finished with 4 assists. No Colgate player broke double digits in scoring.
On the Syracuse end, Trevor Cooney’s shooting woes continued. The freshman sharpshooter was anything but, finishing 0-for-7 from 3-point range. Still, growing pains are to be expected this early in his career.
There were also some worrying signs for the Syracuse offense, as the Orange scoring ground to a halt when Carter-Williams sat in the first half. SU’s full-court press, such a devastating weapon last year, generated some turns against an overmatched Raiders team but also looked shaky throughout the game.
WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse will at Arkansas on Friday, Nov. 30 at 8:30 p.m. in the SEC/Big East Challenge. TV: ESPN.
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