Syracuse falls short in first major test, losing 83-80 to Indiana

Syracuse men’s basketball fell short in its first test of the season, falling 83-80 to the Indiana Hoosiers inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday.

The game was a boxing match, with both teams trading blows and unable to pull away. With 13 lead changes, Syracuse held the largest lead of the game at seven points. 

Guard Ryan Moesch led the Orange offense, coming off the bench. When Moesch was on the floor, the game ran through him as he was the primary ball handler, dishing a game-high six assists and a career-high 19 points. 

Moesch totaled just 6 points in SU’s first two games, but found his stroke from all levels of the floor in the loss. He saw his first shot find the bottom of the net with a friendly roll on a pull-up 3-pointer. After his first career triple went down, he added two more, along with easy floaters and mid-range jumpers inside the perimeter. Moesch finished 6-for-13 from the field and 3-for-5 from beyond the 3-point line, making three free throws. 

Kiyan Anthony continued his strong scoring output, now scoring 14 or more points in the first three games. He finished second on the team with 16 points, knocking down all six attempts from the charity stripe and shot 4-for-9 from the field. Anthony missed his first two shot attempts, then drilled an and-one 3-pointer from the left corner to start his strong offensive day. 

Anthony had a chance to tie the game in the final play of regulation, missing a pull-up 3-pointer from well beyond the arc on a broken inbound play. 

Syracuse led 38-34 at halftime, and Indiana struggled to connect from deep, making three 3-pointers. The Hoosiers drilled six triples in the second half, compared to the Orange’s three, turning the game in their favor. 

With 4:10 remaining, Syracuse lost the lead after a miscommunication on defense led to an open 3-pointer and two free throws, putting Indiana up 69-68. The Orange regained their final lead on a turnaround jump shot by center Luke Wilson, finishing the game with 11 points. 

Just under a minute later, Sadiq White Jr. traveled and Indiana retook the lead with a 3-pointer in the left corner on the other end. That was one of White’s game-high three turnovers, along with 13 points and four rebounds. 

Wilson responded with a dunk off an acrobatic find by a penetrating Moesch in the lane. The Hoosiers quickly inbounded the ball and raced down the floor for a layup, retaking the lead. Anthony tried to respond but missed a contested layup, and the miss went right to guard Gavin Doty for his seventh rebound, before putting in a reverse layup for his fifth and final point. 

Doty’s basket set the score at 74-74, then Indiana took momentum as guard Darren Harris was fouled by Anthony on a 3-point attempt. He made all three free throws, finalizing his game-high 20 points. Moesch missed a layup, and another two free throws gave Indiana a 79-74 lead. 

Moesch quickly went down the floor, getting an easy mid-range jump shot and cutting the lead to 79-76 before Syracuse called a timeout. 

On the inbound, Hoosier guard Jaeden Mustaf faked to the ball, taking off for half-court, where he received a pass, leading to an easy dunk. In the next possession, Moesch went to the free-throw line and made both attempts, cutting the lead to 81-78 with 21 seconds left in the game.

On the inbound, Syracuse trapped the ball handler in the corner, and Indiana used its final timeout. On the ensuing inbound, the Hoosiers successfully got it in play, and SU fouled. Two made free throws later, White scooped up a second-chance rebound for a layup, making the score 83-80.

With no timeouts for either side, Moesch drew a defensive foul, getting pushed off the ball on an inbound play, leading to Anthony’s missed 3-pointer and the game ending.

Despite the loss, it was a balanced effort for the Orange. They shot 51% from the field and went 8-for-19 (42%)  from 3-point range. SU’s bench totaled 40 points, with Moesch and Anthony leading the way. But of Indiana’s 11 turnovers, SU was only able to convert eight points, while the Hoosiers cashed in on 20 points off the Orange. 

SU falls to 2-1 on the season and will take the court next against St. John’s at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15 inside Madison Square Garden.