Freeman leads Syracuse past Pace in disappointing win for head coach Autry
Freeman leads SU past Pace in disappointing win for Coach Red
The Orange top Pace 75–57, but coach “Red” criticizes effort and sloppy offense.
Syracuse men’s basketball closed out its preseason on October 29 with a 75–57 win over Division II Pace in the JMA Wireless Dome, but head coach Adrian Autry wasn’t celebrating.
“Tonight was not the night. The effort and energy were not what we needed to have,” Autry said. “I’m very disappointed in that. We got punked a little bit.”
The Orange shot 52% from the field but struggled from long range (5 of 21 from 3-point territory) and at the free-throw line (14 of 28). Syracuse trailed several times and led by just two points, 29–27, at halftime before a 16–0 run in the second half put the game away.
Sophomore forward Donnie Freeman led Syracuse with 22 points and nine rebounds on 9-of-16 shooting, showing poise and versatility inside. Freshman Sadiq White Jr. added 14 points, three blocks and energy off the bench.
The offense struggled early, frustrating Autry.
“I think we were standing,” he said. “We weren’t moving or cutting. The ball stuck too much, and we took some bad shots.”
Autry emptied his starting five less than four minutes in, searching for a spark. He found it in his freshmen.
Rookie guard Kiyan Anthony, with his father Carmelo Anthony watching courtside, entered and immediately hit a left-wing 3-pointer — his first basket inside the Dome.
“As soon as I checked in, one was going up just to test the waters,” Anthony said. “Fortunately, it went in.”
Pace built a five-point lead late in the first half as Syracuse went nearly five minutes without a field goal. Senior guard J.J. Starling ended the drought with a driving layup, and consecutive plays from Freeman and White restored momentum. Starling’s steal and score just before halftime sent the Orange into the locker room with a 29–27 lead.
In the second half, Syracuse found its rhythm, making 60.7% of its shots and outscoring Pace 46–30. Freeman added 11 more points after the break, pairing aggressive drives with White’s two three-pointers to fuel the surge, which included a 20–1 stretch.
Recovering from a summer foot injury, Freeman said the comeback challenged him as much mentally as physically.
“Physically, it was painful to go through, but the hardest part was the mental aspect — not knowing how I would feel when I got back,” Freeman said. “I feel better now than I did before the injury.”
Autry emphasized that defense, not offense, must define this team.
“We can’t let our offense dictate our defense,” Autry said. “People need to feel us when we play.”
“To be the kind of team we want to be, we’ve got to get energy from our defense and take pride in it,” Freeman said.
After the game, Carmelo Anthony joined the team in the locker room to congratulate the players.
“It’s definitely a blessing to step on the same court he played on,” Kiyan said. “Now it’s time for the real thing.”
The preseason offered glimpses of promise, especially from the freshmen, but Autry said consistency and defensive intensity will determine how far the team can go.
“These are two preseason games with a new team,” Autry said. “We’re still working out some kinks. But I’m very confident in what we’re doing. When it all comes together, this is still going to be an exciting year.”
Syracuse heads to its regular-season opener against Binghamton on Monday, November 3, at the JMA Wireless Dome. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.
is a contributor for The NewsHouse.
is a contributor for The NewsHouse.