Men’s Basketball ends preseason with 71-58 exhibition victory in Buffalo

Gavin Doty entered the locker room after the first half with zero points. He exited it a man on a mission. The junior Siena transfer’s 14 second-half points and 13 rebounds paced Syracuse as it defeated Niagara 71-58 in the preseason’s final exhibition game at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.

While the contest’s outcome was far from guaranteed throughout, the Orange’s balanced offensive attack allowed them to lead for much of the afternoon.

Freshman guard Ryan Moesch orchestrated that attack, providing nine points and six assists off the bench. Moesch set up teammates with lobs and pushed the ball in transition, allowing the Orange to outscore the Purple Eagles 13-4 on the fast break.

Syracuse’s big men supplemented Doty and Moesch’s efforts with 12 points from junior center Luke Wilson and nine points and seven rebounds from Quinnipiac transfer Amarri Monroe. The Orange collectively dominated the glass, outrebounding Niagara 43-24.

Syracuse established an early advantage behind its defense and efficient interior scoring, holding Niagara to just 12 points as it built a 29-12 lead in the first half. However, the Purple Eagles found their footing late in the half, cutting the deficit to 33-26 at the break.

Niagara chipped away after halftime, capitalizing on Syracuse’s offensive mistakes and finding more success against its defense. Doty’s second-half scoring helped the Orange maintain control, but the Purple Eagles kept the pressure on.

With just over two minutes remaining, Niagara cut Syracuse’s lead to 63-58, putting the exhibition’s outcome in question. Monroe converted two free throws to extend the advantage, and Moesch made two more with 51.9 seconds left. Syracuse closed the game on an 8-0 run to secure the victory.

After the game, Doty said that the exhibition games allowed him and the team to experience close games and get comfortable in late-game situations before the regular season.

“If everything went perfect right now, maybe we wouldn’t learn as much,” Doty said. “But we see what we’ve got to fix and what we’ve got to grow and be better at.”

Syracuse head coach Gerry McNamara noted Doty’s performance in securing the victory down the stretch, particularly his effort on the boards.

“The kid’s just a relentless competitor,” McNamara said. “13 rebounds, that’s pretty much the most Gavin Doty thing ever.”

Syracuse’s previous exhibition game saw them eke out an 81-76 victory over Siena in Albany, an effort that caused McNamara to remark that the team was “nowhere near where it needs to be.”

While McNamara still had reservations about Saturday’s performance, he saw improvement in key areas.

“Obviously, the glass was better today, but it should be,” McNamara said.

However, the team’s decision-making issues continued, with the Orange committing 14 turnovers to Niagara’s nine. Syracuse also struggled from beyond the arc, making just six of 25 3-point attempts.

McNamara said the team must improve its shot selection and execution, particularly when offensive plays break down.

“I talked the last game about the decision-making when we were up 13,” McNamara said. “It’s no different today. We’ve got to get a lot better.”

Despite the exhibition victories, the Orange have identified areas to address before the regular season begins. Monroe and his teammates expressed excitement for the upcoming campaign but stressed the importance of preparation throughout the week.

“It’s gonna be a great week, hard week of practice, just to make sure we put a finished product out there,” Monroe said.

The Orange open their regular season Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. at home in the JMA Wireless Dome against New Haven.