Syracuse men’s basketball dropped a whopping 102 points on visiting Central Connecticut State on Thursday, blowing past the Blue Devils 102-49 at the JMA Wireless Dome and moving to a perfect 2-0 under new head coach Gerry McNamara. This wasn’t just a win, it was an absolute clinic, coming just three days after they beat New Haven by 16 points. Central Connecticut State is now sitting at 0-2.
No More Lapses: The Orange Played a Full 40!
Look, we all saw it. In those final preseason games and even the season opener, this Orange squad had trouble putting a full 40 minutes together. They’d hit a wall, take plays off, and just let teams hang around. But not in this one, folks! Syracuse came out firing, leading by 24 points at halftime, and then, get this, they slammed the gas pedal even harder in the second half. They outscored Central Connecticut State by another 29 points after the break. You know Coach McNamara is a stickler for focus, for not having those brain-dead periods. This performance, from start to finish, had to make him happy. They stayed engaged, they stayed locked in. That’s a huge step forward for this team, and it’s exactly what you want to see early in a new coaching era.
Deep Threats and Stepping Up: Offense Is Cooking
The whispers were out there about this team’s shooting, right? Well, they’re starting to put that to bed. Even with Aiden Tobiason sidelined, this squad showed real growth. As a team, Syracuse was a lights-out 9-of-21 from three-point range, hitting 43 percent! Gavin Doty went off for 18 points, knocking down three massive triples to lead all scorers. And Mark Marano? He was right there with him, sinking four of his nine attempts from deep for 16 points. That kind of perimeter firepower, even without one of your top options, is a game-changer.
But it wasn’t just the outside shot. We also saw Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White Jr. step up again, building on their strong Monday performances. White grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, adding eight points and two crucial blocks. Anthony, coming off the bench, absolutely owned his 18 minutes, scoring 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and grabbing four rebounds. You could see that newfound strength paying off on a few powerful drives to the basket. When those returners are playing like that, this team becomes seriously tough to guard.
Bigs Get Active, Point Guards Flash Brilliance
It wasn’t all about the guards, though. The bigs made their presence felt, too. Luke Wilson dropped 14 points and pulled down three rebounds, showing he’s ready to contribute. Tasman Goodrick also had an impactful 10 minutes off the bench, scoring eight points. Yeah, they still need to crash the boards a bit harder, but their activity was undeniable. That’s crucial for diversifying McNamara’s attack.
And let’s talk point guard play. Coach McNamara wasn’t shy about saying freshman Ryan Moesch played “terrible” on Monday. Well, Moesch answered the call in a big way. He put up six points and dished out seven assists in this game. Even with two turnovers, you could see those flashes of brilliance that make him so exciting to watch. Garwey Dual also brought it, chipping in eight points, four assists, and picking up a steal. When your lead guards are making plays like that, you know you’re in good hands.
Up next, the Orange are about to get their first real test. They’re heading to Indianapolis on Monday night to face Indiana. This is where we see what this new-look Syracuse team is truly made of. Can they carry this momentum, this full-40-minute intensity, into a high-major matchup? You better believe we’ll be watching to see if they’re ready for the big stage.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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