Syracuse Vs Le Moyne Men's Basketball Photos

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse ran away from crosstown opponent Le Moyne College 97-64 in a men's basketball exhibition game at the Carrier Dome Tuesday night. Here's a look at the game in photos by Dontae Harris. Click on any picture to start slide show.

Syracuse Men's Basketball Wins Crosstown Contest over Le Moyne

Story by Jake Lapin

Photos by Dontae Harris

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - After an early scare in its first exhibition game, Syracuse won in wire-to-wire fashion at the Carrier Dome over local foe Le Moyne on Tuesday night, 97-64.

The Orange avoided another Election Night upset to the Dolphins, which occurred back in 2009 when Le Moyne won 82-79 at the Carrier Dome on the same night Mayor Stephanie Miner was elected.

White Hot

Grad transfer Andrew White III was the story of the night, finishing with 24 points in 26 minutes.

He shot 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, which could come in handy since SU lost its top-three three-point shooters from last season.

"We lost three guys who could really shoot," Coach Jim Boeheim said. "Andrew showed tonight how effective he can be shooting the basketball."

"That's what he does," said Le Moyne head coach Patrick Beilein.

While with Nebraska last season, White scored 15 points against Michigan, coached by none other than Patrick's father John Beilein, himself a former Le Moyne coach.

Guard Watch

Same as last week, a lot of eyes were on the point guards Frank Howard and John Gillon, who are battling for the starting spot.

Howard started each of the exhibition games, and appears to be safe in that slot to start the season.

In 25 minutes, the sophomore had 11 points and seven assists, with just one turnover.

Gillon on the other hand, had a rough first half but got going in the second, finishing with 14 points of his own in just 14 minutes on the floor.

However, after nine assists in game one, Gillon only had two assists to go with his two turnovers on Tuesday.

"I think John and Frank really combined to play very well together, each in his own time frame," Boeheim said. "It's good to have two guys who can play."

Le Moyne Shot Selection

Le Moyne shot 39 times from deep, compared to just 17 times inside the arc.

Perhaps the reason for this is the Dolphins' tallest player on the night was 6-6 Isaiah Eisendorf, who is just one inch taller than SU's starting point guard Howard.

Still, Le Moyne shot the three-ball quite well, hitting 14 of its 39 attempts, good for 35.9 percent.

Last season, Beilein's squad made just 34.6 percent of it's threes, which has become a focus for this year.

"I thought we executed much better," Beilein said in comparison to last season's matchup versus Syracuse. "You're going to get threes against the zone, but our offense is built around the three-point shot."

Notes

Freshman Matt Moyer was officially redshirted Tuesday, after playing nine minutes in the first exhibition. Boeheim noted that Moyer, coming off a toe injury, missed a lot of time and is not quite in game shape just yet. He also mentioned that Moyer would not have gotten much time as the ninth or tenth man in the rotation, but lots of players who redshirted went on to start for SU, such as last year's backcourt of Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney.

The first half came to a crazy close, as White and Tanner Hyland for Le Moyne went back-and-forth on a three-point rampage. White finished the half 5-of-7 from deep. Hyland finished 5-of-6 in the first half, and ended the game with 18 points of his own. He did not attempt a single two-point shot.

Syracuse's win improved the team to 7-1 versus Le Moyne since 2004, with the Dolphin's lone win coming in 2009.

What's Next?

Syracuse officially starts its season on Friday when Colgate comes to the Carrier Dome. The game begins at 7 p.m. and can be seen on ACCN Extra.

Le Moyne, who finished last year just 10-17, will start its season in Albany this weekend at the Northeast-10 Challenge versus Concordia College.

A Reporter's Take On Game Day in Clemson

Story and photos by Matt D’Ambrosi

CLEMSON, S.C. — It started to hit me once I got in the Uber.

There I was at a Hampton Inn in Anderson, SC, 17 minutes away from Memorial Stadium.  My driver – Jennifer – had just pulled up out front in her grey Kia Soul. I opened the door to the front seat and my eyes immediately went to her shirt.

It had a giant paw print on it – one clearly belonging to a Tiger. It was the first of countless I’d be seeing on the day.

I got in the car and we were on our way. Our final destination: Death Valley. I was going there to cover a football game. But as I began my Saturday in South Carolina, I couldn’t help but notice everything else that was going on around me.

The Drive In

As Jennifer and I made our way to the stadium, we passed at least two different businesses that had some sort of “Tiger” reference in the name. At this point, we were still on what I would consider to be the outskirts of the University area, and as we cruised along, there was no doubt it was game day.

We passed a BBQ spot on the right side of the road where some fans had gathered. We then rode by a man waiving at cars as he was selling Clemson-themed corn hole boards.  

We eventually made it to downtown Clemson and I got out of the car at 11:27 AM.  

On My Way To The Press Box

It was nearly four hours before kickoff and everywhere I looked people were sporting something Clemson.  

Even though it was so far in advance of the actual game, festivities were in full swing. Police were directing traffic. People were tailgating under orange and purple tents. As I walked around, I noticed that a lot of people didn’t even appear to be college-aged. If you were there, it was probably because you were a fan of the Tigers. That was the common denominator.  

To me, it seemed like for these people that today’s game was about more than two teams going at it. It was an opportunity to be together. It was an opportunity for community.

After looking at one table that had boxes of Bojangles’ on it and all of the tailgaters, I eventually headed into Death Valley for the very first time. It was beautiful. It was crisp. It was clean.

I got up to my seat in the press box and just took everything in as the stadium slowly filled up around me.

Before I knew it, over 80,000 people had settled in, and it was time to play.

Main Event

Clemson looked like every bit a top five team throughout the game – even without having standout quarterback Deshaun Watson for over half of it.

In all, the Tigers came away with the “W” over Syracuse 54-0. If you want to know how it happened, you can find out here.

But looking back on it, just as significant as what was happening on the field, was what was happening around it.

Put simply, the fans were just as much a part of the performance as were the players and coaches down on the field. They were engaged. They were enthusiastic. They were together.

I know they call it Death Valley. But from the perspective of an outsider, everybody at Memorial Stadium seemed very much alive.

Clemson Dominates Syracuse

Story and photo by Matt D'Ambrosi

CLEMSON, S.C. — It all started with Ryan Carter.

With a little under five minutes remaining in the first quarter of Saturday’s ACC game between the third-ranked Clemson Tigers (9-0, 6-0) and the Syracuse Orange (4-5, 2-3) and Clemson ahead, 3-0, the Tigers' cornerback picked off Syracuse’s Eric Dungey.

Carter returned the interception 17 yards down to the Orange’s 15-yard line. From that point forward, the Tigers never looked back.

The 54-0 win is the largest margin of victory in an ACC game this season.


Dungey down

Quarterback Deshaun Watson ran it in to the end zone from one yard out on the ensuing offensive possession. The score gave Clemson a 10-0 lead when Dungey and company returned to the field to start the fourth Syracuse drive of the game.

That drive, however, is when Dungey went down after a hard hit from Clemson linebacker Dorian O’Daniel and left the game and whatever chance Syracuse had of staying in it went with him. 

“It’s pretty typical, even in the NFL," Syracuse Head Coach Dino Babers said. "You lose your starting quarterback early in a game, it normally doesn’t work out well for you."

He was right. With Dungey out the Tigers just kept on rolling.

Tigers explode in second quarter

Clemson scored touchdowns on three straight possessions in the second quarter starting with a 65-yard bomb from Watson that was reeled in by sophomore wide receiver Deon Cain. The Tigers scored in two plays, starting at their own five-yard-line.

After the touchdown pass to Cain, redshirt junior quarterback Austin Wilson, who had stepped in at the end of the first quarter for the injured Dungey, came back out on the field again for the Orange. But Syracuse just couldn’t get anything going and punted to the Clemson eleven. 

That gave the Tigers the chance to take the ball 89 yards in 13 plays during a drive that was capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Watson to wide receiver Mike Williams.

Clemson missed the PAT but with 7:04 left in the first half, the Tigers had amassed a 23-point lead over the Orange.

Orange glimmer, then gloom

A huge return on the following kickoff by wide receiver Sean Riley allowed Wilson and the Syracuse offense to set up shop at the Clemson 32. That was quickly negated, however, when Wilson threw a pass that was intercepted by Clemson cornerback Cordrea Tankersley.

Watson and the Tigers came on the field after the turnover and were moving the ball up field with ease. After an incompletion on first down from Syracuse’s 35-yard line though, Watson left the game with an apparent shoulder injury and did not return to action.

Backup quarterback Nick Schuessler ended up primarily finishing the rest of drive (and the game for that matter), and connected with junior Artavis Scott for a five-yard score just before the end of the first half.

Clemson went into the break up 30-0 over Syracuse.

Backups' duel

Due to both Clemson and Syracuse losing their starting quarterbacks in the first half (Watson for Clemson, Dungey for Syracuse), Saturday’s game saw six different players under center between the two teams.

Watson was shining for the Tigers until he was taken out of the game after sustaining a “bruised shoulder” towards the end of the second quarter. He had thrown 13 passes on 19 attempts for 169 yards and two scores while also recording 39 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

Regardless, he never returned to the field and that paved the way for Clemson backups Nick Schuessler and Kelly Bryant to get some reps. Schuessler filled in well for Watson finishing with a passer rating of 191.0. He went eleven for 17 accumulating 177 yards and tossing two touchdowns. Bryant only threw it four times, completing two passes for 21 yards. 

"When Deshaun got banged up, we felt we had good control of the game and he was ready to come back in the second half, but Schuessler did a great job stepping up today," Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney said. 

For the Orange, Dungey had thrown it just nine times before leaving game. Therefore, it was Austin Wilson who took the lion’s share of the snaps for Syracuse. Wilson went 17 for 27 on the day finishing with 116 yards and two interceptions.

“It was an honor to play against them,” Wilson said. “But at the end of the day, we didn’t get the job done which hurts right now. But it was a big task. And I think we were up for it.”

Junior quarterback Zack Mahoney got some time for the Orange as well, completing one pass on four attempts for eight yards. Mahoney was listed as the backup on SU's depth chart going in.

Asked about playing Wilson over Mahoney, Babers said "Austin was the next guy we were going to bring in in that situation," and declined to elaborate.

As for Dungey, "The medical people haven't given me the details," Babers said. "They just said he couldn't come back into the game." 

Takeaways & what’s ahead

In spite of the crushing defeat, Babers indicated that playing a team like Clemson and experiencing a venue like Death Valley does benefit him as he tries to build the Syracuse program.

“There’s a part of the fourth quarter there where I’m just sitting there, and I’m just surveying,” Babers said. “And I’m like, ‘now that you know what the top of the mountain is. Now you have a plan to get there.'”

For now though, Babers is stuck with dealing what’s in his immediate future: the rest of the season. Both Syracuse and Clemson have three games remaining in the 2016 regular-season campaign.

Saturday’s win helps Clemson inch ever closer to securing a spot in the College Football Playoff. For Syracuse, the loss means the Orange will have to win two out of its next three games to have a legitimate shot at a bowl game. Syracuse hasn’t played in one since the Texas Bowl in 2013.

Clemson will look stay unbeaten next Saturday when Pitt (5-4, 2-3) comes to Death Valley, while Syracuse will host N.C. State (4-5, 1-4) at the Carrier Dome.

Notes

Syracuse wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo’s nine catches for 84 yards on Saturday were good enough to break school records for receptions and yards in a single season.

Etta-Tawo now has 75 catches on the year, giving him five more than the previous record set by Alec Lemon in 2012.

His new total of 1,158 yards receiving is 27 more than Marvin Harrison’s mark of 1,131, which was set back in 1995.

Photos From Clemson vs. Syracuse - November 5, 2016

Photos by Matt D'Ambrosi 

CLEMSON, S.C. — The Clemson Tigers defeated the Syracuse Orange Saturday in Death Valley. Here's a look at the game in photos taken by Matt D'Ambrosi from the press box. Click on any picture to start slide show. 

Men's Basketball: Syracuse Starts Season with Exhibition Win Over IUP

Story and photos by Jake Lapin


SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Hardwood is back at the Carrier Dome, as Syracuse men's basketball began its 2016-17 campaign with an exhibition win over Indiana University (Pa.) Tuesday night.

SU overcame an unexpected 15-point deficit in the first half to the Division-II Crimson Hawks before closing the half on a 33-13 run, and rolling to a 83-65 victory.

"We didn't get off to a good start for a few reasons," Coach Jim Boeheim said after the game. "I thought we battled back really well."


Early Struggles

After scoring the first basket of the game, Syracuse struggled early on as IUP jumped out to a 20-5 lead in the first six minutes or so of action.

Interestingly, a Boeheim-coached team started the game in a man-to-man defense, instead of the 2-3 zone that Syracuse is known for playing.

"It's something we work on every day," Boeheim said about the man-to-man defense. "We could theoretically use it in some situations. We'll see."

The Hawks started the game 5-of-11 from deep against the man defense, which sparked the early lead, before missing their next 10 attempts as the Orange clawed back.

Syracuse had three early turnovers before the first 16-under timeout which contributed to the deficit as well.


Serious Size

Syracuse trotted out a starting lineup of Frank Howard and Andrew White III in the backcourt, with Tyler Lydon, Tyler Roberson and DaJuan Coleman up front.

Coleman and Lydon are each 6-9, Roberson is 6-8, White is 6-7 and Howard is 6-5.

The Orange's height will be helpful when Boeheim installs his 2-3 zone.

Boeheim also has freshman Taurean Thompson, 6-10, and transfer Paschal Chukwu, 7-2, at his disposal off the bench.


Crowded Backcourt

Returning starters Roberson and Coleman are expected to start this season, as is Lydon, who received second-team All-ACC honors this preseason.

The starting guards are still to be determined.

Howard got the nod to start the game on Tuesday, but grad transfer John Gillon got some run-time as well, as each played 20 minutes.

Howard finished with 10 points, 2 assists and 3 turnovers, including one that aggravated Boeheim and instigated a timeout.

Gillon added 6 points himself, including a three-pointer, as well as 9 assists and 2 turnovers.

"I think John did a good job in the first half," Boeheim said. "I think Frank did a good job for the most part, just a couple bad turnovers."

While Gillon has more NCAA experience after playing his freshman year at Arkansas-Little Rock and the past two seasons at Colorado State, Boeheim noted that Howard has more experience playing in the Syracuse system.


Notes

Down 20-8 with just over 12 minutes to go in the first half, Syracuse switched off the man-to-man defense into a zone, but also set up a full-court press. The press created six turnovers and a bunch of fast break opportunities that fueled a 33-13 run to end the half.

Boeheim was clearly getting a feel for his unit tonight, as he tried out 18 different lineup combinations in the matchup. Ten different players played at least nine minutes, including three freshmen.

Tyus Battle, a freshman, made his SU debut in style, hitting four 3s in five attempts. He and White combined for 6-of-12 from beyond the arc, while the rest of the team finished just 1-of-8.

The IUP Crimson Hawks finished 21-8 last season en route to a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference division title. Coach Joe Lombardi, in his 11th season, has seven returning players including his son, Dante, who scored 14 points against the Orange. The Hawks head to Villanova on Nov. 5 for another Division-I exhibition matchup.

Looking Ahead

One down, one to go for Syracuse in terms of exhibitions.

The Orange men will take on LeMoyne next Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. as they wrap up the preseason schedule at the Carrier Dome.

The regular season begins a few days later on Friday Nov. 11 at 7 pm, as Syracuse will take on Colgate at home.

Both of those games will be aired on ACCN Extra.