Syracuse, N.Y. — The Syracuse basketball team takes on the Cornell Big Red at 7 p.m., Wednesday in the JMA Wireless Dome.
The game will be available to stream on ACC Network Extra.
See in-game team and individual stats here.
Note: Refresh this page throughout Syracuse’s game vs. Cornell to see the latest updates
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Halftime: Syracuse 39, Cornell 28
A hot start by a freshman helped SU overcome a cold start overall to lead Cornell 39 to 28 at the half.
Elijah Moore leads the team with 13 points off the bench, which includes 3-5 from three-point range. The point total is a career-high, and it came at a good time for the Orange.
At one point in the contest, Syracuse was shooting 1-15 from the floor. Cornell was able to capitalize on the cold start, going up by as much as 12 in the JMA Wireless Dome.
Spurred on by Moore’s shotmaking, along with his fellow freshman classmate Donnie Freeman, who has 10 points at the half, SU eventually went on a 15-0 run to storm back ahead in the contest.
Cornell’s currently being led by Cooper Noard, who has eight points at the half.
First half
Taylor scores with a high-arching floater in the paint.
Freeman turns the corner and finds a wide open paint for the slam dunk.
Jyare Davis, who got his first start tonight, got his first bucket with a euro-step to avoid the defender and score.
Moore rises up for the mid-range jumper. The next play down he hits another catch-and-shoot three. Only shooting 20% from three this season, his shotmaking tonight is a welcome sight.
Off a missed three, Moore grabs his own rebound and goes right back up to knock down the jumper. 13 now for the freshman.
3:52 remaining: Syracuse 24, Cornell 20
Freeman takes it coast-to coast for the finish. On the next play, Starling puts his head down and goes downhill for the score at the rim.
After a rough start, Syracuse has gone on a 13-0 run. It’s their first run scoring 10 points consecutively without their opponent scoring once all season.
5:14 remaining: Syracuse 18, Cornell 20
Freeman knocks down a pair of free throws to cut the defecit down to seven for the Orange.
Moore knocks down his second triple of the evening. 2-3 so far tonight from distance.
Lucas Taylor finds Peter Majstorovic cutting down low for the two handed flush. 7-0 run for SU.
7:42 remaining: Syracuse 11, Cornell 20
J.J. Starling able to get a layup at the basket. His first points of the contest after going 0-5 to start the contest.
Elijah Moore knocks down the first three for the Orange tonight. It was the third shot of the possession for ‘Cuse. A positive on the game is the Orange’s second efforts on the glass to create extra opportunity.
11:40 remaining: Syracuse 6, Cornell 16
Chris Bell scores a transition bucket in the paint, ending a four minute scoring drought for the Orange. Prior to the shot, SU was 1-15 from the floor.
Jaquan Carlos takes a hand-off and takes one dribble into the pull-up jumper. Welcome sight for an offense that is in desperate need of any kind of spark.
15:23 remaining: Syracuse 2, Cornell 10
Cornell opens the game with an 10-0 run, including a pair of threes. The Big Red defense has stifled the Orange in the first three and a half minutes of play.
Donnie Freeman ended the scoring drought with a fadeaway from the post.
Pregame
Syracuse (3-2) return to the Dome to host one of its most faced opponents ever in Cornell (4-2)
These two teams are well acquainted with one another. Since their first meeting back in the 1900-01 season, SU and Cornell have met 129 times. The Orange have won the last 43 matchups in a row, including a game last December where they beat the Big Red 81-70.
Syracuse, however, hasn’t been as successful recently as they have been during the Cornell series. They are coming off two consecutive losses during last week’s UKG Legends Classic in Brooklyn. First a 70-66 loss to Texas, then a 79-74 lost to Texas Tech. The Orange often played from behind in these games. They’ve been plagued by slow starts to begin the season, and it proved to be too much to overcome against tougher Power Four opponents.
J.J. Starling, who’s now the second leading scorer in the ACC behind some big scoring outings, had 27 points in the latest loss to the Red Raiders. Chris Bell added 22 points.
Cornell comes into the contest off an 84-68 win against Iona. Junior Cooper Noard is coming off of a career-high 20 point night. Sophomore Jake Fiegen also looks to be a key contributor for the Big Red as he averages nearly 16 points a night.
One Thing To Keep An Eye On: Syracuse’s Effort On The Defensive End
Through five games, SU is the worst defensive team in the entire ACC. They allow nearly 80 points a night. That’s a twenty point difference than the number one defense in Duke. While the Orange certainly don’t have the high-end talent that Duke has in terms of multiple NBA-level defenders, many miscues have come on missed rotations and transition points. An improved Syracuse defense will be critical as conference play is just around the corner.
