Led By Tyus Battle and Oshae Brissett, Syracuse Basketball Wins 52nd Straight Against Colgate

Another strong shooting performance from Tyus Battle and Oshae Brissett results in another win for the 8-1 Syracuse basketball team at the Carrier Dome.

Saturday’s victory over Colgate saw Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim make some smart decisions from the get-go. Freshman forward Oshae Brissett took the tip-off, and easily won it. Up until now, it was Paschal Chukwu taking opening tips, who despite being 7-foot-2, was still losing the majority of them.

At the half

Colgate guard Jack Ferguson hit the Raiders’ fourth three of the half with 9:56 remaining in the period, and it appeared as if they were going to give the Orange a run for their money.

That’s when Tyus Battle stepped in. The sophomore scored 15 first-half points on 6-of-10 shooting. The 6-foot-6 guard shot 3-for-8 from deep in Syracuse’ win over UConn on Tuesday and entered the half shooting 3-for-6 against Colgate Saturday afternoon.

Battle’s aggressiveness was on full display in the first half, grabbing three rebounds to complement his strong scoring output. Thanks to two late threes from Colgate, the Orange entered the half with a 38-26 lead.

Syracuse entered halftime shooting a strong 58% (15/26), and 5/12 (42%) from three. The Orange played safe basketball in the first half, and only committed two fouls. On the other hand, the Raiders entered the break with seven committed fouls.

Forward Marek Dolezaj took no shots in the first half but continued to be a force on the glass. The freshman grabbed three rebounds and dished out four assists in the first frame.

Junior guard Frank Howard was all over the place in the first frame, scoring nine points, grabbing four rebounds, dishing out three assists, and had a steal.

Canadian presence for Syracuse

Canadian Freshmen Howard Washington and Brissett, both made their presence felt in the first

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frame. Brissett scored 7 points on 3-5 shooting, grabbed two rebounds, and dished out two assists in the first half.

Washington, who has seen very few minutes this season, hit his first three-pointer in an Orange uniform with 4:21 left in the first half and played strong defense while on the floor. The freshman hit his only shot attempt, and continues to look as confident as anyone on the court.

A shaky start to second half for Syracuse

Colgate’s Jordan Swopshire and Ferguson combined for three trifectas to begin the second half. Six minutes into the second half, the Raiders were only down eight points thanks to an 11-5 run. Slovakian freshman Dolezaj extended the lead to ten with a strong post-up move with 13:56 left.

Two minutes later, Ferguson continued what Maryland’s Kevin Huerter and Kansas’ Devonte’ Graham, and UConn did to Syracuse’s 2-3 zone over their last three games: Hit three after three. Ferguson hit his fifth three of the game with more than 11 minutes remaining, cutting Syracuse’s lead to just seven. At that point, Ferguson led all scorers with 17 points, 15 of which came via the long ball.

Syracuse picks it up

A pair of free throws from Battle and a deep three pointer put the Orange up 12 with 9:45 to go. After Swopshire knocked down a three on the ensuing possession, Battle came up the floor, and poured in a step-back jumper to keep the Orange’s lead in double figures. Two possessions later, Battle was fouled on his way to the basket, hit both shots from the charity stripe, and extended the lead to 56-43.

Brissett steals the show in the second half.

After Ferguson knocked down a three pointer with 8:13 remaining, Brissett returned the favor from the top of the key, extending his point total to 17 with over seven minutes left. Less than a minute later, Brissett scored a brilliant scoop layup, and achieved a career-best 19 points.

By the numbers

For Syracuse

Battle scored a game-high 24 points, and grabbed five rebounds on 8-of-18 shooting. Brissett scored 20 points and grabbed five rebounds on 7-of-12 shooting. Howard poured in 18 points, grabbed four rebounds, and dished out six assists on a strong 6-of-12 shooting.

For Colgate

Colgate’s Will Rayman and Swopshire each scored 10+ points, while Ferguson poured in 20 points on 6-12 shooting from long range.

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What’s next?

The 8-1 Orange will next play on Saturday, December 16th, against the undefeated Georgetown Hoyas.

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