Orange ahoy!
Ninth-ranked Syracuse made a rare non-conference trip out of upstate New York yesterday and blew past No. 20 San Diego State 62-49 on the flight deck of the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Midway on a sunny, windy afternoon in San Diego.
C.J. Fair led Syracuse with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Michael Carter-Williams scored 17.
Although there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the conditions were far from ideal. The wind blowing off the Pacific Ocean made it tough for both teams, and it was the taller, bulkier Orange that adjusted the best.
“This was a tough day,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. “This was a hard game. You had to get to the basket. That was the only way you were going to score. You weren’t going to make any jump shots.
“It’s just like when you play outdoors in the summer. … That’s why kids from the city don’t shoot jump shots.”
The Orange (1-0) effectively put it away when Fair made a jumper for a 17-4 lead with 11:30 to go in the first half. He had nine points at that point.
The Aztecs (0-1) had a miserable day, both because of the wind and the Orange’s 2-3 zone. Sophomore forward Rakeem Christmas, one of two 6-foot-9 starters, had five of Syracuse’s 10 blocked shots.
Louisville 79, Manhattan 51
In Louisville, Russ Smith scored 23 points and Peyton Siva added 10 points and 10 assists as the No. 2 Cardinals pulled away from Manhattan for a season-opening victory.
Rhamel Brown had 18 points and 15 rebounds for Manhattan, which was without leading scorer George Beamon, who injured his ankle in practice Friday.
Purdue 83, Hofstra 54
In West Lafayette, Ind., Anthony Johnson scored 14 points to help Purdue (1-1) beat Hofstra (0-2) in the 2K Sports Classic.
Jimmy Hall scored 17 points and Moussa Kone 12 for Hofstra.
Stony Brook 93, Mount Ida 57
In Stony Brook, Ron Bracey scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and the Seawolves (2-0) opened the game with a 41-3 run and routed Mount Ida (0-1).