A quick take on Syracuse’s 90-72 win over Lehigh to start the 2022-23 season:
WHAT HAPPENED: After a Keith Higgins Jr. layup made it 19-19 with 8:54 to go, the Orange went on a 10-0 run, with Judah Mintz contributing six of those points. The Orange went on another 8-0 run before halftime, with Mounir Hima’s layup with 3:03 to go starting it, and Joe Girard’s 3-pointer right before halftime ending it, putting the Orange up 44-26. Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim continued to try different lineup combos and deployed all of his scholarship players in the second half, getting a look at who will fit in the rotation as the season moves on.
ANALYSIS: There were plenty of takeaways from Monday’s contest. Maliq Brown (7 points, 3 rebounds), Judah Mintz (16 points, 3 assists) and Quadir Copeland (6 points, 2 rebounds) all enjoyed solid starts to their Syracuse careers, while Symir Torrence showed he will be hard to keep out of the lineup, with 10 points, 6 assists, and a 3-pointer for good measure. Hima also asserted his spot as the team’s primary center backup, blocking two shots in a single possession toward the end of the first half, and collecting an offensive rebound for a putback. Meanwhile, Boeheim also experimented with man-to-man defense to open up the first and second half before settling back into SU’s familiar zone.
HERO: As expected, Jesse Edwards (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Girard (19 points on 4-6 shooting from 3) led Syracuse. Girard got off to a slow start, hitting just 1 of his first 6, but ended up shooting 5 for 10 on the night.
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ZERO: It was a forgettable start to Benny Williams’ sophomore season, as he scored just 2 points on 1-5 shooting, and an ugly airball on his only 3-point attempt. He also had two turnovers on travels in the second half. Justin Taylor also struggled, shooting 1-7 in his Orange debut.
WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse will play Colgate on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. at the JMA Wireless Dome, looking to exact revenge for an unsightly loss last year.
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