SYRACUSE - After just two exhibition games, Syracuse's youngsters already seem to feel right at home in the Carrier Dome.
Forward Donte Greene scored 26 points to lead three freshmen in double figures, and the Orange beat crosstown foe Le Moyne 109-59 in an exhibition game Wednesday night.
Greene, one of five Orange freshmen, scored 16 points in the first half for the second straight game and dominated until leaving early in the second against the Division II Dolphins. Freshman Rick Jackson had 17 points and 16 rebounds. Classmate Jonny Flynn had 15 points.
“The chemistry is finally clicking,” said Flynn, who played 25 minutes. “We can make the extra pass and the guy's going to be there. Our unselfishness takes our game to another level. If we just continue this on, we're going to have a great season.”
Junior guard Eric Devendorf had 12 points and 10 assists. Center Arinze Onuaku finished with 11 points, and Paul Harris had eight points and nine rebounds for Syracuse, which opens the regular season at home on Monday night against Siena in the NIT Season Tip-off.
Syracuse outrebounded Le Moyne 52-26, shot 59.2 percent from the floor, had 27 assists on its 42 baskets, and scored 24 fast-break points.
“I think we played real well,” said Devendorf, who did not have a turnover. “We got up and down the floor, and I think that's what we want to do. We're a real young team, but we're a very talented team. A lot of the talent showed tonight. We've got a lot of new faces on this team, and when we play together we play real well.”
Laurence Ekperigin led Le Moyne with 18 points, Dan Cromwell had 12, Matt Vassil nine, and Jason Holmes seven.
Onuaku used his muscular 258-pound body to help stake Syracuse to a double-digit lead just past the midpoint of the first half. After Vassil hit a 3-pointer to move Le Moyne within 30-27, Onuaku converted a three-point play, slammed home a dunk, and followed with a lay-in to give Syracuse a 37-27 lead with 5:35 left.
Greene's basket off the glass gave the Orange nine points in a 69-second span and boosted the lead to 12 points. Greene followed with a hook in the lane, a layup and a 3-pointer from right wing after a driving layup by Flynn to make it 48-31 with 3:12 remaining.
Syracuse outscored the Dolphins 24-11 over the final eight minutes to take a commanding 52-35 halftime lead.
“We're not a great team. There's always something to work on,” Greene said. “Right now, it's our defense. Our offense is going to come. Coach Boeheim and all the coaches are stressing defense. Defense, defense, defense. That's what we're going to work on.”
Le Moyne shot 41.7 percent from the floor in the first half and just 32.1 percent in the second as the Orange stepped up the defense. The Dolphins also were just 5-for-23 on 3-pointers for a miserable 21.7 percent.
“That's the kind of game we needed going into our regular season,” Harris said. “We needed to see everybody smiling, getting in the game, getting touches.”
Guard Josh Wright, the lone senior scholarship player on the team, was out for the second straight game with a sore left ankle. He has not been practicing because of the injury, which occurred in the past week.
The Orange defeated Saint Rose 80-71 on Sunday in their only other preseason exhibition game. Saint Rose and Le Moyne both play in the Northeast-10 Conference.
Orange 109
Dolphins 59
Greene, one of five Orange freshmen, scored 16 points in the first half for the second straight game and dominated until leaving early in the second against the Division II Dolphins. Freshman Rick Jackson had 17 points and 16 rebounds. Classmate Jonny Flynn had 15 points.
“The chemistry is finally clicking,” said Flynn, who played 25 minutes. “We can make the extra pass and the guy's going to be there. Our unselfishness takes our game to another level. If we just continue this on, we're going to have a great season.”
Junior guard Eric Devendorf had 12 points and 10 assists. Center Arinze Onuaku finished with 11 points, and Paul Harris had eight points and nine rebounds for Syracuse, which opens the regular season at home on Monday night against Siena in the NIT Season Tip-off.
Syracuse outrebounded Le Moyne 52-26, shot 59.2 percent from the floor, had 27 assists on its 42 baskets, and scored 24 fast-break points.
“I think we played real well,” said Devendorf, who did not have a turnover. “We got up and down the floor, and I think that's what we want to do. We're a real young team, but we're a very talented team. A lot of the talent showed tonight. We've got a lot of new faces on this team, and when we play together we play real well.”
Laurence Ekperigin led Le Moyne with 18 points, Dan Cromwell had 12, Matt Vassil nine, and Jason Holmes seven.
Onuaku used his muscular 258-pound body to help stake Syracuse to a double-digit lead just past the midpoint of the first half. After Vassil hit a 3-pointer to move Le Moyne within 30-27, Onuaku converted a three-point play, slammed home a dunk, and followed with a lay-in to give Syracuse a 37-27 lead with 5:35 left.
Greene's basket off the glass gave the Orange nine points in a 69-second span and boosted the lead to 12 points. Greene followed with a hook in the lane, a layup and a 3-pointer from right wing after a driving layup by Flynn to make it 48-31 with 3:12 remaining.
Syracuse outscored the Dolphins 24-11 over the final eight minutes to take a commanding 52-35 halftime lead.
“We're not a great team. There's always something to work on,” Greene said. “Right now, it's our defense. Our offense is going to come. Coach Boeheim and all the coaches are stressing defense. Defense, defense, defense. That's what we're going to work on.”
Le Moyne shot 41.7 percent from the floor in the first half and just 32.1 percent in the second as the Orange stepped up the defense. The Dolphins also were just 5-for-23 on 3-pointers for a miserable 21.7 percent.
“That's the kind of game we needed going into our regular season,” Harris said. “We needed to see everybody smiling, getting in the game, getting touches.”
Guard Josh Wright, the lone senior scholarship player on the team, was out for the second straight game with a sore left ankle. He has not been practicing because of the injury, which occurred in the past week.
The Orange defeated Saint Rose 80-71 on Sunday in their only other preseason exhibition game. Saint Rose and Le Moyne both play in the Northeast-10 Conference.
Orange 109
Dolphins 59
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