Syracuse ran past Le Moyne, 97-58, in a preseason exhibition game in the Carrier Dome on Monday night. The Division II Dolphins were overmatched by the Orange on both ends, and here are three tempered observations from the game.

1. 3s, please

The most 3s Syracuse attempted in a game last year was 24, and the most it made was 10. Sticking true to its new, 3-heavy offense, the Orange flirted with those numbers in the first half before passing them in the second. SU shot 8-of-21 from deep in the first, and Michael Gbinije finished 7-for-13 overall with a game-high 21 points.

Gbinije, who started at point guard, teamed with Malachi Richardson to lead the 3-point attack in the first. The pair combined to shoot 7-for-13, with Gbinije going 4-for-7 and not attempting a 2-pointer until the second half.

The Orange started to look inside more at the start of the second half — which triggered a 21-0 run that buried the Dolphins — but Kaleb Joseph stuck with the theme of the night by hitting back-to-back 3s around the 13-minute mark.

Syracuse created open 3 attempts by pushing hard off Le Moyne makes and misses, and that also put an emphasis on the Orange transition defense against the Dolphins. SU wasn’t as sharp as it could have been getting back on defense, which let Le Moyne get open looks against an unset zone and hang around in the first half.

2. DaJuan Coleman sighting

DaJuan Coleman, seeing his first action against a live opponent since Jan. 7, 2014, started slow with a two-point first half but came alive in the second. He finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, and it’s worth noting that Le Moyne’s tallest player stands 6 feet, 7 inches and weighs 210 pounds to Coleman’s 255.

As the Orange shifted its offense to the inside for the first 4:19 of the second, Coleman found himself in scoring situations and capitalized. He scored six quick points to start the half, finishing at the rim off feeds from Gbinije and Trevor Cooney, respectively, with his first make coming off one power dribble and through contact.

Coleman then showcased a refined part of his game, setting a high screen for Cooney on the left wing and moved into open space around the elbow. Cooney took one dribble before lofting a pass to Coleman, and the center didn’t hesitate before rising up for an 18-foot jumper.

It swished through the net and he retreated to the defensive end with an added bounce in his step.

3. Wet feet

Monday provided a first in-game look at freshmen Richardson, Tyler Lydon and Frank Howard. Richardson, who started at small forward, was most impressive while finishing with 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting. He also shot 3-for-8 from 3 and, on a few occasions, handled the ball in transition after grabbing a defensive rebound.

The 6 foot, 9 inch Lydon played small forward, power forward and center in the game, manning the middle of the zone when the Orange rolled out its three-forward lineup. He scored just six points in 22 minutes, but kept possessions alive with five offensive rebounds, blocked three shots and dished out three assists.

Howard played a mix of point guard and shooting guard, and finished with 10 points, three assists and three steals. He confidently pushed the ball in transition and showcased the ability to get inside and find open shooters on the perimeter.

Published on November 2, 2015 at 9:09 pm