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Syracuse entered unfamiliar territory last weekend against Drexel as the Orange went into halftime without the lead. But a big run to start the second half vaulted Syracuse to a smooth victory over the Dragons, with Buddy Boeheim leading all scorers with 23 points in a 75-60 win.

Before heading to the Bahamas next week, the Orange will finish a three-game homestand against another central New York school, Colgate. The Red Raiders won the Patriot League Championship for the second time in three seasons last year. That win helped Colgate into the NCAA Tournament as a 14 seed, where it fell to Arkansas in the first round.

Here’s what you need to know about Colgate (1-1, 0-0 Patriot League) before this Saturday’s game at Syracuse (2-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast): 

All-time series

Syracuse has played Colgate more than any other school in Syracuse history. The Orange have dominated the Red Raiders, leading the series 127-45.

Last time they played

The Orange and the Red Raiders last met on Nov. 13, 2019. Syracuse opened that season with a 48-34 loss to Virginia, one of the lowest point totals in head coach Jim Boeheim’s tenure. SU picked up its first win of the season, beating Colgate 70-54. 

Buddy, Elijah Hughes and Bourama Sidibe scored in double-digits for the Orange. That season would turn out to be Sidibe’s last full year at Syracuse as the center is currently out with a knee injury. Similar to last week’s win over Drexel, Syracuse headed into halftime with a close margin but came out on top with a second half run. 

KenPom odds

KenPom gives Syracuse an 86% chance of winning, with a projected score of 80-68.

The Colgate Report

Colgate opened its season with a 65-58 win over Northeastern. Point guard Nelly Cummings scored a career-high 25 points throughout Colgate’s comeback victory. Cummings went 5-for-6 from beyond the arc to lead the Red Raiders in their season-opening win.

More recently, Colgate managed to scare a future Syracuse opponent, NC State. With the score tied at 74-74, the Wolfpack made three free throws in the final seconds of the game to defeat Colgate. The Red Raiders stayed close to NC State throughout the entire game as the lead from either team never stretched to more than 10 points. With experience against the ACC already, Colgate could have the experience to pull out an ACC upset in its second attempt.

How Syracuse beats Colgate

Last season, Colgate had the best 3-point defense in the nation, according to KenPom. While that number was likely skewed by the level of competition the Red Raiders faced in the Patriot League, Colgate is currently holding opponents to a 24.1% success rate from deep. The Red Raiders held NC State to a 4-for-15 performance last week, so if there’s anywhere Syracuse should attack Colgate, it’s in the paint. 

The Red Raiders are allowing opponents to make at least 50% of their shots from 2-point range, according to KenPom. Colgate doesn’t register many blocks either, so expect potential from Jesse Edwards, who is growing into the starting center role, Jimmy Boeheim or Cole Swider. 

Player to watch: Nelly Cummings, Guard, No. 0

Cummings is the leading scorer for Colgate by a wide margin, especially after his 25-point performance against Northeastern. The senior guard is also 11-for-18 on the season from 3, and he ranks 28th in the nation in 3-point percentage. Joe Girard III is first in the nation since he has yet to miss a 3 for Syracuse this season.

Two years ago, Cummings started against Syracuse and had a poor shooting night. He shot 3-for-11 for 10 points in the loss to the Orange back in 2019. Look for him to potentially rectify that play as the focal point of the Colgate attack. 

Stat to know: 50%

The Orange are currently shooting 50% from beyond the arc this season. However, the matchup against Colgate might douse the recent flames of Syracuse shooters. Opponents are just 7-29 from 3 against the Red Raiders in 2021. 

Girard is a key reason why Syracuse is shooting so well this season, since he’s made all eight of his attempts. But instead of shooting from 3 against Colgate, Girard and Buddy might dump it down low to Edwards and Jimmy for easy layups.

Published on November 17, 2021 at 9:48 pm

Contact Gaurav: gshetty@syr.edu