Syracuse Moves to 2-0 with blowout win against Holy Cross

By Paul Mancano

SYRACUSE, N.Y.– There wasn’t much coach Jim Boeheim could complain about after Syracuse’s 90-46 win over Holy Cross Tuesday night.

“When you play against zones and you shoot that well, it makes the game a lot easier,” Boeheim said after the game.

Just about every player wearing white and orange had a good night against the Crusaders. Syracuse shot an impressive 58% from the field, and five Orange players hit double digits in points. SU even made 86% of its free throws.

The points poured in early and often for the Orange. Syracuse jumped out to an early 13-5 lead thanks to a balanced offensive attack. Sophomore Tyler Lydon flipped the script from last week’s slow start, scoring eight points and grabbing three rebounds in the first nine minutes.

When Lydon checked out, Nebraska transfer Andrew White picked up where the sophomore left off. White got cooking from deep, hitting four of his first five attempts beyond the arc. White’s shooting bumped SU’s lead to 28-14 midway through the first frame.

“It’s always good to do what’s expected of you,” White said. “When I take a shot, my coaches and my teammates expect it to go in.”

As he did in the season opener against Colgate, coach Jim Boeheim turned to the full-court press early. But it was Syracuse’s half-court defense that put Holy Cross in a hole. The Crusaders committed seven turnovers by the seven-minute mark in the first half. Boeheim turned away from the press as the Orange went on a 14-0 run.

Syracuse entered halftime with a 49-23 lead as both Lydon and White were in double figures.

The Orange’s lead only grew throughout the second half, ballooning to 45 points with 4:25 to play. Lydon built on his strong first half with seven points in the second half.

“He got on the boards early, that was the difference,” Boeheim said of his sophomore forward.

John Gillon III might have been Syracuse’s most effective point guard of the night. The Colorado State transfer fell one assist short of a double double as he committed just one turnover.

Syracuse’s zone befuddled Holy Cross all game, and the Orange took advantage with 31 points off of turnovers.

Boeheim experimented plenty with lineups yet again. Each Orange player was on the floor for at least 10 minutes.

Syracuse plays its second game of the Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational against Monmouth Friday at 7:00 P.M.