Syracuse closes nonconference play with 77-48 win over Stonehill
Syracuse concluded its nonconference slate with a 77-48 win over Stonehill Monday. Christopher Calabrese | Staff Photographer
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As of late, Syracuse has developed a bad habit of playing down to its competition. The Orange have played competitive matches against subpar opponents, failing to pull away early and establish a strong lead.
It was an issue that plagued SU in its loss to Hofstra. The troubles persisted in its 14-point win over Mercyhurst. The Orange continued that worrying trend in an eight-point victory against Northeastern.
And against Stonehill — a team that had only claimed one Division I victory this season — that problem didn’t fully disappear. The Skyhawks (3-10, 0-0 Northeast) never led in SU’s (8-4, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) 77-48 victory, as the Orange secured a dominant 12-2 advantage less than four minutes in. But still, Syracuse couldn’t pull away until late, allowing Stonehill to keep its deficit within single-digits well into the second half.
J.J. Starling — coming off his first single-digit scoring performance since Nov. 3 — propelled SU’s success early on. He scored the Orange’s first five points, getting to the rim for a layup and splashing a 3-pointer to put them up 5-2.
After a Naithan George triple pushed Syracuse’s lead to 8-2, Starling came roaring back with a dunk on its next offensive possession. Between George and Starling, SU’s backcourt ran the show. They combined to score the Orange’s first 15 points, with George tallying eight and Starling netting seven points.
When Sadiq White Jr. splashed a 3-pointer to make it 18-8 over five minutes into the game, he was the first Syracuse player to score outside of George and Starling.
But George and Starling — and, by extension, the Orange — cooled off slightly after that early outburst. At the 13:34 mark, Nate Kingz drove inside the paint and sank a layup, making it 22-9 Syracuse.
SU proceeded to go over six minutes without scoring a field goal. Its lead shrank to as low as 16-23 in the stretch, and when Starling ended the drought with a midrange jumper at the 7:28 mark, it barely managed to push its lead back up to double digits.
The Skyhawks threatened to keep the game within single digits to close the half, with Davante Hackett canning a deep triple to cut their deficit to 35-27. Kingz miraculously salvaged a double-digit halftime lead with a 3-pointer of his own to close the period, but Hackett returned the favor out of the break with a corner 3 to make it 39-30.
Things didn’t get much better from there. Less than three minutes into the second half, Rex Sunderland canned another 3-pointer for Stonehill, shrinking Syracuse’s lead to six points for the first time since the game’s third minute.
Defensively, the Orange were able to hold the Skyhawks without a field goal for the final seven-minute stretch, where they finally created some separation. Yet, their much-maligned free throw shooting didn’t help matters — SU finished the game shooting 14-of-29 from the charity stripe.
Eventually, the Orange ignited for a 14-5 run, giving them a game-high 64-45 lead with a little less than six minutes to play. Starling capped the stretch off with a beautiful up-and-under layup, effectively serving as the proverbial dagger to the Skyhawks’ chances of victory.
Stonehill never truly threatened Syracuse. The Skyhawks shot a paltry 26.4% from the field on Monday. But with SU shooting miserably on free throws — and nearly getting outrebounded — it allowed them to stay in the game for far longer than they reasonably should have.
Just as it has over its past three contests.
