Syracuse men’s basketball closed out its final exhibition game against Southern New Hampshire last night. The Orange defeated the Penmen 72-58.
Syracuse’s first half performance set the pace. SU went into the last 20 minutes leading SNHU 43-23. This first frame was a major improvement over last week’s exhibition win over Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The Crimson Hawks led the Orange 33-32 at the half.
The main difference in Syracuse’s first half last night was accuracy. SU went 10-11 from the free throw line in the first 20 minutes. SNHU only made three of 11 total free throw chances. Syracuse’s sharpshooting extended to the field as well. The Penmen and the Orange recorded 32 and 33 shots in the first half, respectively. Southern New Hampshire converted just 28 percent of those opportunities, while Syracuse canned nearly 46 percent.
SU maintained the lead throughout the second half, but the shooting was not as strong. After making 15 of 33 field goal shots in the first half, Syracuse hit just nine of 28 in the second. Throughout the full 40 minutes, the Orange were 3-10 from behind the arc.
Senior Joe Girard III has transitioned from point guard to shooting guard smoothly this year. The veteran led the Orange with 15 points. The New York native went 9-9 from the free throw line as well. The guard totaled 32 points for the two exhibition games, with nearly half of them coming from three pointers.
Girard III and senior Jesse Edwards were the only two to tally more than 10 points over the Penmen. In exhibition play, Edwards’s efforts have also shown up on the glass. The Dutch center recorded seven rebounds in each exhibition game.
Returner Benny Williams is finding his place under the net as well. Against IUP, the sophomore tallied 12 rebounds, with eight more against SNHU.
Regardless of Edwards and Williams’ contribution in gaining possession, Syracuse will need to work on keeping it as a whole. The Orange had 17 turnovers against a Division II team in SNHU.
“You’re going to turn it over more when you play 11 guys, but that’s not a good number,” Head Coach Jim Boeheim said.
On the freshman front, Chris Bell and Judah Mintz held starting positions and played for just over 20 minutes, about the same duration as returners Girard III, Edwards, and Williams.
LISTEN: The freshmen were on fire in the Dome! Chris Bell added to his night with a three-pointer in the first half against SNHU. WAER's @bainbridgec7 was on the mic.
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) November 1, 2022
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Forward Maliq Brown led the new recruiting class with eight points, draining all four of his shots from the field.
“He just does a good job,” Brown said. “He’s a good defender, he works hard, he doesn’t take shots he can’t make. It’s pretty good.”
Rookie Chris Bell closed out the night with a bang. The California native secured a dunk with an assist from fellow freshman Judah Mintz, marking Syracuse’s final points of the preseason.
The preseason revealed a bit more depth than Syracuse had last year, and from varying age groups. All but two players added points to the Orange’s win. If the starting lineup from last night moves on to the regular season – with Girard III, Edwards, Williams, Bell, and Mintz – then SU will have a strong balance of college experience with some new blood.
Syracuse has under a week left until the regular season begins. The Orange host Lehigh next Monday night. The game begins at 7:00 with WAER’s Coverage starting at 6:30 with McClurg Team Countdown to Tipoff.