Syracuse men’s basketball bounces back, rolls past Mercyhurst (full coverage)

Syracuse men’s basketball used a steady, balanced effort on both ends to roll past Mercyhurst, 76-62, on Wednesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome, improving to 7-4 on the season.

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Five Orange players reached double figures as Syracuse controlled the game from start to finish. Senior William Kyle III posted his third double-double of the year with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks, anchoring the defense throughout. Senior J.J. Starling also scored 15 points, leading the Orange in scoring for the second straight game.

The Orange never trailed and took command midway through the first half with an 11-0 burst that stretched a three-point edge into a double-digit lead. Kyle III jump-started the run with back-to-back short jumpers before Kiyan Anthony added a pair of baskets, including a finish through contact. Naithan George capped the surge with a three-pointer, pushing the advantage to 28-14. Mercyhurst went scoreless during the run and never closed within 12 points the rest of the night.

Syracuse shot efficiently early, building a 39-23 halftime lead while holding the Lakers to just over 32 percent shooting in the opening half. Starling scored 13 of his points before the break as the Orange consistently found quality looks.

The margin remained comfortable after halftime as Syracuse shot better than 57 percent in the second half and continued to rotate scorers. The Orange finished with a 39-23 rebounding edge, scored 46 points in the paint and limited Mercyhurst to 31.6 percent shooting overall.

Box Score

GAME RECAP LINKS

• Syracuse returns to win column with 76-62 victory over Mercyhurst (DailyOrange.com)
• Orange Cruise Past Mercyhurst (Cuse.com)
• Syracuse 76, Mercyhurst 62: Orange respond with a wire-to-wire victory over Lakers (NunesMagician.com)
• Observations from SU’s win vs. Mercyhurst: Starling’s 15, best FT performance (DailyOrange.com)

ADRIAN AUTRY’S POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

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Kyle Evans

Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.