Three takeaways from Syracuse’s 89-77 win over Canisius

Syracuse emerges victorious against Canisius in the Battle of I-90, taking their season record to 2-0.

• By
  
  James Szuba
  
• on November 8, 2023 10:13 pm

The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team secured a commanding 89-77 victory over the Canisius Golden Griffins in a back-to-back encounter, improving their record to 2-0 in the nascent season. The standout performance saw Syracuse star Judah Mintz netting a career-high 26 points, accompanied by JJ Starling’s impressive career-high seven assists.

Benny Williams, unfortunately, remained unavailable due to a suspension for violating team rules. The game was live-streamed using the JMA Wireless Dome video feed on ACCNX/ESPN+, with Syracuse donning their popular script uniforms for the second consecutive game, although the public’s reception of the dome video feed remains uncertain.

Shot-wise, Syracuse boasted a 53.8% success rate from the field (35-65), while Canisius managed a 48.5% rate (31-64). The game saw Syracuse lead throughout, maintaining an undefeated record with no game played trailing this season.

Onto the takeaways.

Syracuse backcourt reigns supreme

The game remained closely contested until the second half, when Mintz’s remarkable performance shifted the momentum. Mintz’s self-sustained 11-3 run, inclusive of three (!) and-ones, secured a 74-59 lead for Syracuse, thwarting Canisius’ chances of closing the gap.

Starling matched Mintz’s 8-15 effort from the floor and completed his night with a career-high seven assists, cementing the Syracuse backcourt’s stellar performance. Mintz amassed 26 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block, while Starling finished with 17 points, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds. Adrian Autry will be seeking consistent displays from his guards with their upcoming Colgate game.

Syracuse backcourt review: Two thumbs up.

Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images

Ebert and Roeper.

Three up, three down

Syracuse’s performance from beyond the arc in the game was satisfactory, marking a significant improvement. The Orange managed a 36.8% success rate from outside, sinking 7-19 attempts, including 5-11 in the first half.

However, Syracuse allowed Canisius to shoot at a 45.5% rate from outside. While it’s still early in the season, the Orange’s three-point defense remains an area for improvement.

Board up that (loud)house

Syracuse finished even with Canisius in the rebounding category, raising some concerns with 16 offensive rebounds conceded, leading to 16 second-chance points for the opposition.

Naheem McLeod’s commendable nine rebounds in just 18 minutes mitigated some of the concerns. Attention remains on Syracuse’s defensive strategy and the potential impact of Benny Williams’ return on their rebounding performance for the upcoming Colgate game.

Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

P.S. For those eligible betting folks, hope you avoided the bad beat.

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