Syracuse men’s basketball: Orange impose their will through physicality in 74-60 win over NC State

After roaring out to an early lead, the Cuse survived a shaky second half to secure a win

The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team rushed out to a double-digit lead early on and never looked back, using their size to secure a convincing 74-60 victory against NC State on Wednesday night in the Dome. SU improves to 12-16 (6-11) on the season, while the visitors drop to 11-17 (4-13).

Both teams entered what is one of their final games of the regular season in similar positions near the bottom of the ACC standings. With goals for both programs to at least qualify for the ACC Tournament in what was effectively a play-in game, the win was a must.

The Orange entered the matchup on a three-game skid, which included losses to UNC, Pitt, and league-worst Miami. The last time the two teams met, NC State knocked the Orange out of the ACC Tournament.

The Cuse squad made their physical presence felt in the opening minutes of the contest as they protected the paint well, and Jyare Davis grabbed the first bucket of the day from right under the rim.

Jaquan Carlos started at the one for the Orange for the second straight game. The Hofstra transfer’s calm and composure allowed the team to slow things down and control the pace early on.

With this control, Eddie Lampkin Jr. was able to impose his will on the game, using his size and weight against the slender Ben Middlebrooks, who had enjoyed excellent performances against the Orange last year.

Lampkin and Davis’ physicality resulted in easy buckets that got the team out to a 13-3 lead early, also keeping NC State 1-8 through the first five minutes while dominating the boards.

Head Coach Adrian Autry opted to shift his lineup early and often as Naheem McLeod, Petar Majstorovic, and Chris Bell were brought on for a frontcourt shift and continued SU’s strong run. The Wolfpack’s undersized bigs were unable to wrangle McLeod, who picked up four easy points immediately after jumping into the game.

Although the scoring slowed in the following period, the Orange were able to extend their lead further through efficient shooting and mitigating turnovers.

A string of Syracuse fouls allowed NC State to close the gap to 12, and SU went cold from the field for six minutes, but their earlier lead allowed them to remain in control.

The size advantage in the paint for Cuse provided a consistent outlet on offense to slow the game and extend possessions, using the clock to their benefit.

The half ended with the Orange in complete control after their early lead. The 38-25 scoreline marked one of the team’s best defensive performances in a half this year (23 vs Cal) as they also held their visitors to 30% from the field and 15% from beyond the arc.

The Pack’s three top scorers of Marcus Hill, Jayden Taylor, and Dontrez Styles were also contained to a combined four points.

On the other side, Lampkin pitched in nine, and six other SU players scored at least four points in the half. The Orange did not dominate in any category except efficiency, but also held their turnovers to three and had shown good effort on defense and the glass to establish their favorable position.

The visitors started the scoring in the second half, but the Orange got right back to work on the inside through the efforts of Davis and Lampkin as they continued to pound away at the Wolfpack defense.

The opponents traded points and fouls in a physical battle early on as the Pack attempted to go with both Middlebrooks and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield in at the same time to buff up the interior.

This attempt proved futile as Davis continued to overpower his taller opponents, putting up seven points in the first five minutes.

On the opposite side of the ball, NC State continued their poor shooting streak, going 33% through the first eight minutes of the second half.

The Pack implemented a full-court press to attempt to change the trajectory, which did force Orange turnovers on a few occasions. Despite the pressure in the open court, Cuse continued to punish their smaller opponents down low and maintain their lead through the set offense.

Davis and Lampkin kept making things happen inside, and the Cuse guards hit the right shots in critical moments to maintain a comfortable lead. JJ Starling added a few circus shots in late-clock scenarios to further boost the team’s confidence entering the final stretch.

With time on their side, the Orange simply ground out the final minutes on the clock to secure a 74-60 win in a big battle at the bottom of the ACC standings.

Jyare Davis (15pts, 7reb) and Eddie Lampkin (14pts, 14reb) made the difference for the Orange as they dominated NC State on the interior on both sides of the ball. A late flurry from Starling also saw him finish with 17 points and four assists.

The Orange defense also impressed on the night, holding their visitors to 34% from the field and 30% from behind the arc while dominating on the boards.

Following this uplifting result, the Orange will head out of town for their final two road games of the regular season at Virginia Tech on March 1 and SMU on March 4. Syracuse will likely need one more positive result if they want to qualify for the ACC Tournament.