Syracuse Makes it Tough for Lehigh to Soar, Grabs Season Opener 90-72

Up next, the 1-0 Orange welcome in-state foe, Colgate, to the JMA Wireless Dome. Last season, the Raiders snapped a 54-game losing streak to Syracuse when they came to the Dome and dropped a 100-85 beatdown on SU. The ‘Cuse look for revenge next Tuesday at 7:00 with WAER’s Coverage starting at 6:30 with McClurg Team Countdown to Tipoff.
A perfect start to the 2022-23 season for Syracuse Men’s Basketball. Seniors Joe Girard III and Jesse Edwards combined for 37 points, paving the way in the Orange’s (1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) 90-72 win over Lehigh (0-1, 0-0 Patriot).

SU entered the game coming off its first losing season since 1959 - and the first in the Jim Boeheim era. The ‘Cuse was quick to get off to a hot start, putting together a 33-11 run in the first half. Girard lit up the scoreboard, finishing with a team-high 19 points going 4-6 beyond the arc. At the same time, Edwards took advantage of an undersized Lehigh frontcourt all night, grabbing his first double-double of the year. The Amsterdam native had 18 points and 11 rebounds, complemented by three blocks.

"Joe (Girard III) and Jesse (Edwards) did what they had to do," head coach Jim Boeheim said of the duo. The pair serve as the only two returning starters for Syracuse after the Boeheim brothers and sharpshooter Cole Swider moved on. "They have to be the two guys we depend on and they were that tonight."

With the win, Boeheim reached 999 career wins – for the second time. 101 of his wins were by the NCAA back in 2015 after a long investigation found multiple violations. Still the winningest active coach in the Division I ranks, Boeheim saw his record in season openers improve to 42-5. For the head man, that’s all that matters.

“This will be the last time I address this. This was our first win. We’re 1-0,” Boeheim said postgame. “And that’s the only thing that I’m concerned about for this whole year. Nothing else matters.

The path to 1-0 was a little rougher than most probably expected for the Orange. Through the first two exhibition games, the Syracuse offense was lifeless. SU trailed at halftime to Indiana (PA), and was outscored in the final 20 minutes against Southern New Hampshire. The win over SNHU saw an abysmal 30% from 3-point range performance from the ‘Cuse. Monday, the Syracuse offense experienced less problems. Boeheim’s squad shot 54.5% from the field and went 6-12 from deep.

On the newcomer front, freshman Judah Mintz dazzled in his Syracuse debut. The No. 33-ranked player in ESPN’s class of 2022 notched 16 points in the win and was a perfect 4-4 from the charity stripe. The guard finished with just three assists on the night, something Jim Boeheim says needs to change.

“He’s still working on creating opportunities for others. Point guards need to have more than three assists,” said Boeheim. “He was always a scorer at Oak Hill – that’s what he’s good at.”

Cuse.com

On the other side of the ball, the Orange played man-to-man for the vast majority of the contest, something fresh for a team that exclusively played a zone defense for decades. The SU defense made life difficult for the Mountain Hawks, holding Lehigh to 34% from the field in the first half including 1-10 from beyond the arc. The one bright spot for Lehigh was Evan Taylor. The senior caption – who was named to the Patriot League All Preseason team – garnered a game-high 20 points amidst a 4-5 performance from deep.

Up next, the 1-0 Orange welcome in-state foe, Colgate, to the JMA Wireless Dome. Last season, the Raiders snapped a 54-game losing streak to Syracuse when they came to the Dome and dropped a 100-85 beatdown on SU. The ‘Cuse look for revenge next Tuesday at 7:00 with WAER’s Coverage starting at 6:30 with McClurg Team Countdown to Tipoff.