Syracuse Basketball: Top takeaways as Donnie Freeman leads Orange to win over Albany

On Tuesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse basketball power forward Donnie Freeman showed why he's such a highly touted freshman.

The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Freeman, a consensus five-star prospect from Washington, D.C., who was ranked as high as No. 6 nationally in the 2024 class, led the Orange charge as the 'Cuse halted a two-game skid by defeating fellow Empire State team Albany, 102-85.

Entering this non-conference affair, Syracuse basketball was hitting on just 26.0 percent from 3-point land. Against America East Conference school Albany, the Orange was much better from beyond the arc, and the 'Cuse dominated the Great Danes in the interior.

With this outcome, Syracuse basketball improved to 5-4 overall, while Albany fell to 6-5. The Orange also moved to 9-0 in its all-time series with the Great Danes. Up next, the 'Cuse will host former long-time Big East Conference rival Georgetown on Saturday, Dec. 14, with the tip-off scheduled for 2:30 pm and television coverage on the ACC Network.

Top takeaways as Syracuse basketball conquered Albany on the Hill.

•Freeman, to put it mildly, was sensational. He tallied a game-high 24 points and eight rebounds while hitting on 10-of-13 from the field and 4-of-4 from long range. If Freeman can more consistently knock down 3-pointers throughout the rest of the 2024-25 season, he will be a one-and-done player for the Orange.

•Senior point guard Jaquan Carlos, who has by and large struggled to date in 2024-25, notched a double-double of 12 points and 12 assists on Tuesday. That kind of performance is critical if the 'Cuse wants to contend for the 2025 NCAA Tournament following a three-year absence from March Madness, especially with the team's leading scorer, junior guard J.J. Starling, out indefinitely with a left-hand injury.

•Several other Orange players had key contributions. Senior forward Jyare Davis produced 15 points. Junior small forward Chris Bell, who didn't play well in the team's road loss to Notre Dame this past Saturday, generated 18 points and five boards.

•In just 12 minutes of action, redshirt junior guard Kyle Cuffe Jr. scored 10 points and didn't miss a shot. Eddie Lampkin Jr., the graduate student center, had six points, eight rebounds and five assists. Freshman big man Petar Majstorovic chipped in six points and five rebounds.

•Collectively, Syracuse basketball connected on 63.5 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from long range and 88.9 percent from the free-throw line. Albany, conversely, made 45.7 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from the perimeter and 57.9 percent from the charity stripe.

•In other statistical categories, the 'Cuse led 38-27 in rebounds, 23-18 in assists, 45-26 in bench points, 3-0 in blocks, 16-15 in fast-break points and 62-38 in paint points. The Great Danes held edges of 11-5 in turnovers forced, 9-1 in steals and 16-8 in points off turnovers. The teams were tied 12-12 in second-chance points.