Syracuse Basketball: Top takeaways as free-throw woes continue, 'Cuse falls to Texas

The crowd, naturally, was pro-Orange at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., as Syracuse basketball hung tough with Southeastern Conference member Texas in the opening game of the 2024 Legends Classic on Thursday night.

Sitting courtside at this non-conference encounter were Syracuse basketball legend Carmelo Anthony and his son, Kiyan, a 2025 four-star shooting guard who committed to the 'Cuse last week.

The Longhorns seized control of this affair relatively early on and had a 16-point advantage early in the second half from New York City. However, the Orange didn't quit, as the 'Cuse got energized by the play of graduate student center Eddie Lampkin Jr., the four-star transfer from Colorado.

Despite facing a large deficit, late in the second half, Syracuse basketball was able to capture the lead, but the team's free-throw struggles so far in the 2024-25 season continued on Thursday evening and the Orange lost to Texas, 70-66.

Key takeaways as Syracuse basketball fell to Texas at the 2024 Legends Classic.

•The 'Cuse entered this game shooting 25.4 percent from 3-point land and 63.6 percent from the free-throw line. Against the Longhorns (4-1), Syracuse basketball (3-1) connected on 24 percent from deep and just 50 percent at the charity stripe. You can't go 9-of-18 from the free-throw line and expect to win close games. By extension, Texas wasn't good from beyond the arc, but the Longhorns were 12-of-14 from the charity stripe. That's a big reason why they prevailed.

•The aforementioned Lampkin was awesome. He finished with 14 points, six assists and five rebounds. Junior guard J.J. Starling paced the Orange with 16 points, along with five rebounds and four assists. Junior small forward Chris Bell tallied 11 points, while senior forward Jyare Davis, a four-star transfer from Delaware, notched 11 points and seven boards. Freshman power forward Donnie Freeman had nine points, two rebounds and one assist.

•Let's look at some other statistical categories. Both teams committed 11 turnovers. Texas led 16-14 in points off turnovers. The Longhorns also finished up 35-30 in rebounds, 14-13 in bench points, 8-7 in fast-break points, and 9-4 in steals.

•On the flip side, Syracuse basketball had edges of 11-7 in second-chance points and 15-14 in assists. The programs were tied 36-36 in paint points and 4-4 in blocks.

•While it was encouraging to see the 'Cuse claw back and even take the lead after it looked like Syracuse basketball may get crushed in Brooklyn on Thursday night, I feel as if the Orange missed a golden opportunity to grab a marquee non-conference triumph. Losing by four points, when you leave nine points at the charity stripe, is a frustrating result.

•With this outcome, the 'Cuse is now 1-1 in its short all-time series with Texas. Next up, Syracuse basketball will face either Saint Joseph's or Texas Tech on Friday, Nov. 22, with the tip-off scheduled for 7:00 pm and television coverage on ESPNU in the consolation game of the 2024 Legends Classic.