A Game of Threes Leads to Syracuse Rout of Colgate

Story and photo by Brian Armstrong

Syracuse N.Y. – Syracuse drained a near-record number of  threes to get interim head coach Mike Hopkins his first win Tuesday night at the Carrier Dome.

The Orange (7-2) ended a two-game losing streak by beating Colgate (2-6) 78-51. SU shot the three ball 30 times at a nearly 50 percent clip making 14.

“We moved the ball exceptionally well and got really good shots,” Hopkins said.

First Half Threes
 

Syracuse went 8-18 from behind the arc in the first half that led to a 33-22 lead.  The three ball was also in high use for Colgate as the team shot just under 40 percent going 5-13 accounting for half of the Raiders' shot selection.

Colgate’s Sean O’Brien scored half the team’s points and led all scorers with 11 going 4 of 7 from the floor and 3-5 from three.  

Freshmen Malachi Richardson and Tyler Lydon led Syracuse with 9 points each. Richardson went 3-for 8 with all of his makes from deep. Lydon made 3 of his 4 shots,\two of which were three pointers.

“When I do the pick and pop it opens up a lot of things for us, " Lydon said. "If they give it back to my I can make a play or a shot.”

Different Half Same Result
 

The second half was more of the same for both teams, with both continuing to shoot threes.  Colgate went 10-28 from behind the arc for the game. Syracuse also added five 3s in the second half to reach its total of 14, one short of the SU record.

O’Brien'ss pace slowed down in the second half as he finished with a team high 16 on 6-12 (4-7) shooting. He looked to drive the lane in the second half as he only took two of the teams 15 second half threes.

Michael Gbinije hit the opening three and took off in the second half as he and Richardson led all scorers with 17 each.  Gbinije finished 6 for12 from the floor making 4 of his 7 threes. Richardson continued his first half form as he shot 5-12 (4-10).

After Gbinije’s opening three, the Orange never led by less than 13 for the remainder of the second half. The highest lead of the game was Syracuse by 29.

Game notes

While Syracuse controlled the game, the two teams were even in rebounding with 32.

"Something we have to really improve on as well is rebounding, "Hopkins said." "I thought a lot of these are energy plays, especially when you’re playing teams that shoot 28 three-pointers – there’s going to be a lot of long rebounds, a lot of hustle rebounds. They beat us to those balls today."
 

The 8 threes Syracuse hit in the first half was more than the entire game against Georgetown (7).

Gbinije was the only player to play every minute of the first half. Colgate's largest lead of the game was in the opening three minutes where the Raiders led 7-3. 

Richardson broke out of his slump after shooting just one of 12 from the floor in Syracuse two-game losing streak. 

"I've always been taught that if that shot doesn't go in the next one will, so keep shooting," Richardson.

Look ahead
 

Syracuse plays again this Sunday Dec.13 against former Big East rival St John at Madison Square Garden for a noon tip.

Colgate also plays Sunday, back home against on New Hampshire.