Syracuse men’s basketball rolls in blowout win over Central Connecticut State

Syracuse men’s basketball (2-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) picked up a dominant 102-49 win over Central Connecticut State (0-2, 0-0 Northeast Conference) on Thursday night. The 53-point win was SU’s largest since December 2010, when it thrashed Colgate by 56.

The second game of the Gerry McNamara era started nicely for the ‘Cuse. SU forward Mark Morano got the Orange on the board less than 40 seconds in with a layup. A couple of minutes later, Morano gave Syracuse a 10-5 lead with his first 3-pointer of the game.

The freshman finished with 16 points and five rebounds, including a team-high four 3-pointers. Morano also led SU with three 3-pointers in its season opener against New Haven on Monday.

“He’s got a special gift … he’s like the high release shooter,” McNamara said of Morano. “You look at guys like Klay Thompson, you look at Buddy Boeheim. I’ve been around some great shooters here. He’s got that nice, beautiful high release. He’s got the right stuff when it comes to shooting, but he’s a complete player.”

SU’s first-half onslaught didn’t stop there. The Orange outscored the Blue Devils 47-23 in the opening 20 minutes. Appalachian State transfer Luke Wilson scored nine of his 14 points in the first half. That’s more than double the scoring output Wilson had against New Haven. The reigning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year also added three rebounds and a block.

One player who didn’t start hot was Syracuse guard Gavin Doty. The junior didn’t score in the first 10 minutes of the game but eventually found his rhythm. Doty posted a team-high 18 points and five rebounds, shooting more than 75% from the field and 60% from 3-point range.

“What does it take to get Gavin Doty’s motor going? Nothing. He’s gonna figure it out,” McNamara said. “He’s going to play hard every second, every possession. He’s going to find a way. There’s no telling Gavin he’s not playing hard enough.”

Despite the 24-point halftime lead, concerns lingered after SU’s second-half performance against New Haven. The Chargers outscored the Orange by six points in the final 20 minutes, but Thursday was a different story. Doty and Morano combined for 15 points in the first eight minutes of the second half, stretching SU’s lead to 39.

Syracuse’s sophomore duo of Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White Jr. also contributed. Anthony scored seven of his 14 points in the final 12 minutes. Through two games, the sixth man is second on SU in points per game with more than 15. White had eight points and 10 rebounds. The forward has grabbed double-digit rebounds in both games for the ‘Cuse.

The Orange ultimately outscored the Blue Devils 55-26 in the second half, en route to their largest victory in more than 15 years. It’s the first time Syracuse has reached 100 points in a game since a double-overtime win over California last February.

“We’re getting there. I think we’re getting better. I think that’s clear, but it’s not perfect yet,” McNamara said. “For us to be the team we’re capable of being, we have to really lock in in terms of how disciplined we’re going to become throughout a 40-minute game. But I’ll tell you, I was really happy with the offensive side of the ball tonight.”

@Cuse_MBB on X

For Central Connecticut State, offensive production was hard to come by. Raphel Laurent was the only Blue Devil in double figures, with 17 points.

Syracuse outshot CCSU 64% to 34% from the field and 43% to 17% from 3-point range. With the win, Syracuse improves to 2-0 for the eighth time in the last 10 seasons.

The competition takes a step up when SU battles Indiana (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten) in Indianapolis on Monday at 6:30 p.m. WAER’s pregame coverage begins with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff at 6 p.m.