Gavin Doty scored 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting as Syracuse cruised to a 102-49 victory over visiting Central Connecticut State on Thursday.
Mark Morano knocked down four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points for the Orange, while Luke Wilson notched 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Kiyan Anthony chipped in with 14 points as Syracuse shot 64.4% from the floor, improving to 2-0 under new coach Gerry McNamara.
Syracuse faces a significantly tougher schedule ahead, beginning Monday against Indiana in Indianapolis before visiting St. John’s on Nov. 15.
Raphel Laurent was the only Central Connecticut player in double figures with 17 points. Jhace Johnson contributed eight points for the Blue Devils (0-2) while James Jones pulled down nine rebounds.
The Orange outrebounded the Blue Devils 45-20. Sadiq White Jr. led the way with 10 boards.
Syracuse took its first double-digit lead at 21-11 on Anthony’s three-point play about eight and a half minutes into the contest. That sparked a 12-0 run that stretched Syracuse’s lead from 18-11 to 30-11. The surge included a 3-pointer by Doty and two baskets by Amarri Monroe.
Ashton Reynolds countered with a layup for Central Connecticut before Morano drained a 3-pointer to give Syracuse its first 20-point cushion.
The Blue Devils cut the deficit to 35-20 with 4:33 left in the half, but the Orange scored 12 of the final 15 points to head into the locker room up 47-23.
Syracuse shot 58.6% from the field in the first half with Morano (10 points) leading the way.
The Orange picked up right where they left off in the second half. They burst out of the gates with a 19-5 run, highlighted by five early points by Wilson and two 3-pointers by Doty.
Morano’s 3-pointer capped the uprising, giving Syracuse a commanding 66-28 lead with 12:48 to play.
Shortly after, Anthony’s bucket pushed the lead past 40 for the first time. The Orange lead soared past 50 with about a minute left as the hosts wrapped up the lopsided victory.