Now comes the hard part.
The Syracuse men’s basketball team finished the non-conference portion of its schedule on Saturday with a relatively comfortable win against the weakest opponent it will play this season.
he Orange scored the first 10 points and, despite not playing particularly well, were never in danger of losing, dispatching Niagara 71-57 in the Carrier Dome on Saturday night.
Elijah Hughes flirted with a a triple-double as Syracuse moved to 8-5 on the season.
GAME RECAP LINKS:
- Syracuse finishes non-conference schedule with lackluster 71-57 win over Niagara (Syracuse.com)
- Syracuse 71 – Niagara 57: Orange close non-conference play with a win (TNIAAM)
- Syracuse basketball box score vs. Niagara (Syracuse.com)
- Orange Cruise Past Niagara, 71-57 (Cuse.com)
- Syracuse struggles guarding interior, even against tiny Niagara (Donna Ditota’s quick hits) (Syracuse.com)
GAME HIGHLIGHT’S:
JIM BOEHEIM’S POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE:
SOCIAL:
Orange win behind a near-triple-double performance by Elijah Hughes: 19 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists pic.twitter.com/NUy6MT0GFY
— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) December 29, 2019
Bourama Sidibe's final stat line:
10 PTS
13 REB
5 BLK
3 STL
32 MIN pic.twitter.com/ZON0zdtF5K— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) December 29, 2019
PREVIEW:
Syracuse plays its final game in 2019 when it hosts Niagara on Saturday, Dec. 28 in the Carrier Dome. Tip off in the final non-conference game of the season is set for 7 p.m.
Syracuse enjoyed a seven-day holiday break after defeating North Florida, 82-70, last Saturday in the Dome. Five members of the Orange reached double figures in scoring, including senior Elijah Hughes, who scored 18 points. Junior Marek Dolezaj finished with 17 points, while sophomore Buddy Boeheim added 16 points. Junior Bourama Sidibe led Syracuse’s efforts on the boards with eight rebounds.
Niagara enters Saturday’s game on a three-game losing streak and a 2-8 overall record. The Purple Eagles lost at Buffalo, 92-72, last Saturday.
Three players average double figures in scoring for Niagara. James Towns leads the way with a 15.2 points-per-game average. The group includes Raheem Solomon (12.0 ppg.) and Marcus Hammond (11.2 ppg.). Towns also leads the Purple Eagles in rebounding (3.7 rpg.).
GAME PREVIEW LINKS:
- PURPLE EAGLES LAND IN THE DOME FOR SATURDAY MATCHUP (Cuse.com)
- 5 numbers to know for Syracuse basketball vs. Niagara (Syracuse.com)
- Syracuse Basketball: Orange need to end 2019 on a positive note vs Niagara (Inside The Loud House)
- Syracuse men’s basketball vs. Niagara preview: 5 things to watch for (TNIAAM)
- What channel is Syracuse basketball vs. Niagara on? TV, time, stream info (Syracuse.com)
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