Syracuse men’s basketball cruises to 83-43 win over Delaware State
Syracuse dismantled Delaware State Saturday in the JMA Wireless Dome, propelled by one of its best defensive efforts under Adrian Autry, including William Kyle III's six blocks and 13 rebounds. Avery Magee | Asst. Photo Editor
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Adrian Autry knows his team can’t just win — they need to run teams like Delaware State out of the gym. The Hornets entered the JMA Wireless Dome ranked No. 335 by EvanMiya and No. 354 by KenPom.
With the Orange leading by 35, Autry opted to bring his starters back on the floor, even having them full-court press after a made shot.
It’s because Autry knows the NCAA Tournament committee considers margin of victory when deciding which teams make it out of the bubble and which ones fall short. Saturday’s result could help SU come March.
Syracuse (2-0, Atlantic Coast) secured its largest win since defeating Division II Chaminade by 49 in November 2023, blowing out Delaware State (0-2, Mid-Eastern Conference) 83-43. SU held the Hornets to just 21.9% shooting from the field, topping its season-best 28.6% versus California last year.
While Preseason All-ACC Second Team selection J.J. Starling (lower body) was held out after suffering an injury in the season-opener versus Binghamton, it didn’t matter.
The Orange were led by Donnie Freeman and Kiyan Anthony, who combined for 39 points on 14-of-19 shooting. Meanwhile, SU’s hounding defense and fast pace helped it force 15 turnovers, block 12 shots and score 14 points off turnovers. UCLA transfer center William Kyle III notched six blocks, a career-high.
Syracuse finished the game shooting 32-of-55 while draining 8-of-21 3-pointers. The Hornets, meanwhile, shot 14-of-65 from the floor and 1-of-14 from beyond the arc.
From the get-go, Syracuse scored the first points and never trailed throughout the contest. The Orange played an aggressive defense, constantly forcing pressure on ball-handlers and even full-court pressing after the Hornets inbounded the ball.
SU opted to take a bunch of 3-pointers in the early going, making just two of their first eight attempts through eight minutes. Still, Syracuse commanded a 17-8 lead on a perfect 5-of-5 from the interior.
Freshman Sadiq White Jr. suffered an apparent injury, hobbling to the locker room around the midway point of the half, but returned a few minutes later.
Following the under-12 timeout, the Orange’s defense, quick pace and Freeman helped it embark on a 10-0 run. All in transition, Freeman scored seven points, including an and-one, while dishing an assist to Bryce Zephir, who drained a wide-open corner 3.
Syracuse’s run was halted at the 6:17 mark when Delaware State’s Bessanty Saragba made a layup to cut its deficit to 27-11. However, the Hornets’ deficit continued to grow as Anthony percolated down the stretch, scoring SU’s next seven points before finding Tyler Betsey, who canned an uncontested corner 3.
Poetically to close the half, Betsey then forced a turnover, allowing Naithan George to get in transition and score at the rim. It gave the Orange a 40-17 halftime lead.
Just under seven minutes into the second half, Syracuse’s lead expanded to 31 after freshman guard Luke Fennell got it out in transition, found Freeman in the paint, who then dished an alley-oop to White. The thunderous play gave the Orange a 55-24 lead with 12:03 remaining.
With Syracuse’s advantage growing to 35 mid-way through the second half, Autry opted to put his starting lineup back on the floor. During his media day press conference in October, the third-year head coach emphasized that even if teams take a big lead, they must keep playing because that’s how the game is now.
In a pivotal year where his job may or may not be on the line if the Orange fall short of March Madness, Autry’s team has played competitively to the final whistle versus Binghamton and Delaware State. It’s resulted in a +78 margin of victory across the opening two games, as his starters continued building the lead on Sunday up to 40 down the stretch.
Syracuse’s lead was never in doubt versus Delaware State. Autry did everything he could to best position it come March.
