It wasn’t easy, but the Syracuse Orange pulled off the win over the Iona Gaels with a score of 71-62. Despite a three-point barrage from the Gaels, the Orange managed to use a late offensive surge to close out Iona.
Syracuse was led by Tyus Battle, who had a career-high 28 points as he showcased his diverse scoring arsenal. From hitting long range shots to making crafty finishes inside, Battle proved tonight that he is Syracuse’s guy, and you shouldn’t be worried about it.
Oshae Brissett is a threat on offense in the middle of a zone
The Orange may have thought they were back in practice during this game with Iona running a matchup zone. Syracuse’s zone becomes weaker when the ball gets in the middle, so the Orange knew the way to beat the Gaels’ zone was to get the ball to the high post: insert Oshae Brissett.
The freshman was active on offense all night as he was constantly flashing to the high post. Brissett’s ability to hit the mid range shot makes him a dynamic weapon from the high post where he can shoot, attack off the dribble, or find the open man on the perimeter. Who knows how much zone the Orange will see this year (the EMU game, for sure...), but flashing Brissett to the high post seemed like the right answer for Coach Jim Boeheim tonight.
Paschal Chukwu may have learned how to use his size against smaller opponents
After being outplayed by his backup in the opener on Friday, Chukwu responded with arguably his best game as an Orangeman. Chukwu scored early for the Orange with two powerful dunks inside. At 7’2”, Chukwu can dominate against smaller teams by making his presence known in the paint.
Not only did the big man make his mark scoring (Chukwu finished with five points), but he made an impact on the glass too — as he should at that size.
Syracuse may struggle against teams that can hit the three-point shot this year
The Orange made the Syracuse faithful sweat this one out, and that was in large part due to Iona’s ability to hit the three. The Gaels finished shooting 10-of-32 from three, keeping them in the game until a late Syracuse run. Rickey McGill led the three-point barrage for Iona with five threes to go along with his 21 points.
Syracuse managed to pull this one out, but with few scoring options, SU may struggle against teams that excel at shooting from deep (accurately). Maybe the offense will figure itself out over time, but Syracuse needs to find a way to score more points if they’re going to beat the best shooting teams the nation has to offer. There are several of them on the schedule after all...