LISTEN: Despite a competitive second half, @Cuse_MBB outlasted @NiagaraMBB 83-71 to wrap up out of conference play on a high note. @TylerJAitken and @Austin_Barach had the call. pic.twitter.com/Wvflas9hFw
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) December 22, 2023
Syracuse men’s basketball (9-3, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) took down Niagara 83-71 (3-9, 0-2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) at the JMA Wireless Dome behind 40 points from its reserves.
The Orange did not make a substitution until seven minutes into the game, but the backups still scored nearly twice as many points as the starters did in the first half. Forward Maliq Brown began his perfect day from the field with two buckets in the period, one of them a three-pointer. Head coach Adrian Autry was encouraged by Brown expanding his range with his first made trey of the season.
“He’s just scratching the surface, he’s so talented. He does so much for the team,” Autry shared. “If we can get him to make one or two threes a game, that’s gonna be huge for us.”
While Brown and the bench mob were impressive in the first 20 minutes of play, a starter from each squad stood out as well. Syracuse guard Judah Mintz kicked in ten points, which put him on the path to leading the team in scoring for the game as a whole. Niagara guard Luke Bumbalough lit it up with 17 first-half-points on five triples. The Ball State transfer ended up with a career-high 23 points in the losing effort.
SU went into the second half up ten points, and the backups continued to put in work. Guard Quadir Copeland only hit a single shot, but supplied half a dozen assists to bring his game total to eight. Sophomore Kyle Cuffe didn’t score much either but blocked a couple of shots as part of a gritty defensive performance. The Kansas transfer also set up Maliq Brown for a layup.
LISTEN: Kansas-transfer Kyle Cuffe Jr. linked up with forward Maliq Brown for a silky finish in the paint. @Austin_Barach called the action.
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) December 21, 2023
🎙️@waer883, https://t.co/BG0Q3sGq3P pic.twitter.com/mdfNumu18t
Cuffe’s contributions earned him some plaudits from coach Autry after the game.
“Kyle really gave us a big boost,” Autry said. “Defensively, just attacking the basket, making some really good reads.”
Autry raved about his bench after the game, but did not appreciate how the Orange closed things out. Syracuse’s lead reached its maximum of 19 during the second half, but the final scoreline was not as comfortable as it could have been. Niagara scored 13 points in the final four minutes of play, which was unsatisfactory to Coach Autry.
“It’s unacceptable. Our immaturity showed,” declared Autry. “(We) just let our foot off the gas, and you just can’t do that. So, I’m happy we won, but I’m just not happy with the way we finished this game up.”
Even with a late skid, the ‘Cuse wrapped up a double-digit win at home. This triumph means that the Orange have not lost to the Purple Eagles since 1976.
Next up for Syracuse is another home bout, this time against Pittsburgh (9-3, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) on December 30. The Orange and Panthers each carry four-game win streaks preceded by an ACC loss into this rivalry matchup. Tipoff is at noon, but WAER’s coverage begins with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff at 11:30 a.m.