BUFFALO, N.Y. — It’s officially basketball season in the 315.
Syracuse men’s basketball opened exhibition play on Saturday night in Buffalo, taking on the University at Buffalo at the KeyBank Center.
Kiyan Anthony’s first unofficial points in an Orange uniform came just minutes into the game. Kiyan, the son of SU and NBA legend Carmelo Anthony, finished with ten points and sunk two threes in his collegiate debut.
Georgia Tech transfer Naithan George took over the point guard position for SU, and distributed the ball well, especially in the first half. George facilitated the assist for four of the first ten buckets that Syracuse scored, and finished with nine points, seven rebounds, and six assists.
SU took a 39-27 lead into the halftime break, thanks in large part to the defense – the Orange held the Bulls to shooting just 31% from the floor in the first half.
Syracuse struggled with sloppiness as the game went on, turning the ball over 17 times. Head coach Adrian Autry was trying out different combinations of players on the floor as the game continued – George, JJ Starling, Donnie Freeman, and transfers Nate Kingz and William Kyle III rounded out the starting five to begin the game.
Transfer Tyler Betsey was perhaps the biggest surprise. Betsey led SU with 14 points in the game, shooting 5-7 from the field and sinking 3-3 three point attempts.
As a team, the Orange looked to improved from beyond the arc – Syracuse sunk nine threes, made by six different players.
Despite the Bulls pulling within four, 70-66, with just over a minute to play, Freeman made some key free throws and SU held on to win it 76-66.
“I was proud that these guys were in a first game like that, and challenged and pushed and pulled it together at the end,” said Autry postgame. “Donnie stepped up and made some big free throws, and we got the stops when we needed it. That’s a start, but I would say it was gritty, but it wasn’t pretty.”
The Orange will host a second and final exhibition game against Pace University on Wednesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome.