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Nothing has come easy for Syracuse this season. Even the lowest competition on paper has taken SU to its limit. Le Moyne, Colgate and Youngstown State all came to the JMA Wireless Dome and nearly defeated the Orange.

Saturday, Bucknell had a chance to add itself to that list. The Bison entered on a six-game losing streak, four of which came by double figures. Their last victory came before Thanksgiving. So that begged the question: could Syracuse put the game away early?

The answer was no. Although there weren’t any last-minute fireworks in Syracuse’s (6-6, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) 75-63 win over Bucknell (4-9, 0-0 Patriot League) to close out nonconference play. Eddie Lampkin Jr. led the way with his third double-double of the season (18 points, 11 rebounds), while Donnie Freeman also added 15 points. The Orange also forced 17 turnovers and held the Bison to just 38.2% shooting.

Syracuse’s 27-point loss to Maryland a week ago was brutal. There’s no way around it. The Orange scored just 17 first half points, turned the ball over 21 times and trailed by as much as 38. The defeat marked a low point in program history. Saturday’s performance wasn’t flawless, but it was a big improvement in head coach Adrian Autry’s eyes.

“You never know what’s going to happen after you have a loss like that,” Autry said postgame. “But I just thought, these guys had a focus. They came out, and I thought the energy level was where it needed to be. Wasn’t perfect by far. (We) still got ways to go, but it’s a step in the right direction.”

Bucknell provided a step down in competition before Syracuse entered conference play, but the Orange had issues with the Bison almost immediately. They totaled five turnovers in the first eight minutes and looked sluggish offensively.

At that point, Autry reached deep into his bench to create a spark. Throughout this season, the second-year head coach hasn’t found a solid group he can rely on game after game. It’s often led him to throw different lineups on the floor to receive a spark.

The trio of Petar Majstorovic, Lucas Taylor and Kyle Cuffe Jr. did just that. They each scored nine points off the bench and provided spurts on offense for SU.

Majstorovic connected on just his third 3-pointer of the season to put SU in front 17-12 nearly at the halfway point of the first half. The Orange have struggled mightily from 3, hitting just 29.1% of their looks, the 321st-worst mark in the country.

If there was a bright spot for Syracuse against the Terrapins, it was the 3-point shooting. The Orange were 50% from deep (8-for-16) for the first time this season. This carried over to the first half, where Syracuse hit a season-high six 3s before the break.

Taylor and Freeman combined for five of them, spearheading 13 straight Syracuse points toward the end of the first half. At one point, SU trailed 26-22 with five minutes left, but a 21-5 run helped the Orange take a 43-31 lead into the break.

As much as Syracuse finished the half on a strong note, it failed to capitalize on the momentum. The Orange hit just one 3 in the second half and finished 7-for-23 from beyond the arc while turning the ball over four times within the first four minutes. SU started just 2-for-9 from the floor, while triples from Josh Bascoe and Noah Williamson, Bucknell’s two leading scorers, helped the Bison cut SU’s lead to 45-39.

Elijah Moore, who didn’t score in the first half, left his feet before attempting a pass that went out of bounds. All Autry could do was put his head down in disgust and immediately replace Moore for Cuffe. On the sideline, Autry spoke with Moore to seemingly discuss the freshman’s giveaway.

Moore’s turnover was one of many sloppy moments following the break. A miscommunication led to a dunk from Pip Ajayi, cutting Syracuse’s lead to 48-43. It marked the first time Bucknell got within five points since there was just over four minutes remaining in the first half.

Bucknell held Syracuse without a made field goal for nearly five minutes until Lampkin deposited two inside. Cuffe followed with a seven-point burst. First, he converted a layup in transition, followed by a mid-range jumper and then SU’s only second half triple.

The point guard played a season-high 25 minutes and has seen an increase in his minutes over the past couple weeks. He didn’t appear in four games this season, but Autry was happy with how he kept practicing hard to earn minutes.

“I’m proud that he’s kept working, and now he’s contributing. He’s getting his opportunity and taking advantage of it,” Autry said of Cuffe.

Cuffe’s 3 pushed Syracuse’s lead to 59-46 with 9:26 left. Jaquan Carlos added on with a finish inside, part of a stretch where Syracuse hit 5-of-6 shots. Over the next five minutes, Bucknell attempted to carve into SU’s advantage.

The Bison couldn’t combine scores with stops but sneakily kept themselves in the game. A corner 3 from Bascoe, one of six from him in the game, cut the lead to eight with 4:28 left. Though, from that point forward, Bucknell never got closer. The Bison missed six of their final seven shots in the final four minutes as they failed to cut into their deficit.

Unlike in previous home nonconference contests this season, Syracuse didn’t need to clench its teeth down the stretch. The performance might not have been pretty, but it gave the Orange a stepping stone into ACC play.

“We just battled it out and toughed it out. And that’s all you can do,” Autry said.

Published on December 28, 2024 at 4:26 pm

Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22