With each missed shot, the grumbling from the Carrier Dome crowd swelled. Sure, it was only the first exhibition game of the season, but the Syracuse fans expected better from the No. 5 team in the country. A field goal drought of 5:49 wouldn’t cut it.

‘Shooting 10-for-30, we don’t do that in a half,’ SU shooting guard Brandon Triche said following the game against Cal State-Los Angeles. ‘I think it was a little bit of nerves. We had a lot of open shots that we missed.’

The SU cold stretch allowed the Golden Eagles to creep back into the game behind a 14-6 run, but an emphatic dunk by Dion Waiters with 55 seconds left in the first half reclaimed momentum for the Orange.

Syracuse plays its second and final exhibition game Tuesday against St. Rose in the Carrier Dome at 7 p.m. And after a less-than-desirable start against Cal State-LA last week, getting out of the gates quickly will be a focus for the Orange offensively. Tuesday represents the final chance for SU to iron out any kinks before the regular season begins Saturday.

Despite shooting just 33.3 percent from the field in the first half and 25 percent from long range, Triche was pleased with the looks Syracuse got offensively.

A 15-foot jumper from the free-throw line by center Fab Melo rimmed out. Shooting guard Dion Waiters had a floater waived off two possessions later after he was fouled before the shot by CSULA’s Jibreel Nasir. And C.J. Fair missed a short jumper from the left baseline.

‘Just to make three or four more shots, we’re up by 17 or 19 going into the half,’ Triche said. ‘And I think that easily could be done.’

The dunk by Waiters on a fast break, with 55 seconds remaining in the half, seemed to wake up the offense and led to a strong start in the second half. SU came out of halftime with a 22-11 run to turn its seven-point lead into an 18-point advantage in less than six minutes.

Two of those 18 points came from Waiters, as he again energized the Orange by converting a layup after being fouled.

Though he will likely continue coming off the bench this season, Waiters understands he must bring energy to the court and play like a starter. He looked aggressive and assertive offensively against the Golden Eagles, contributing 10 points in 23 minutes while shooting 50 percent from the field.

‘Coach (Boeheim) wanted us to attack more tonight — take it to the basket and dish it, or if it wasn’t there, bring it back out,’ Waiters said after the game. ‘But he wanted us to attack, so that’s what I came to do.’

Boeheim said he feels Waiters and Fair can both play like starters when inserted into the Syracuse lineup — a reflection of the depth of this year’s team. It also means Boeheim has the luxury of instant offense if he feels his team needs a boost.

Waiters was effective against the Golden Eagles and even saw some time at the point guard position. Fair knocked down a 3-pointer from the left corner against CSULA, something he worked on diligently in the summer.

Together they combined for 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

‘I just have to be ready to come off the bench and give the team a spark right away because I’m an offensive threat,’ Waiters said.

The uncharacteristic first half was erased by a torrid shooting effort in the second half. SU converted 51.3 percent of its field goal attempts after halftime en route to 50 of its 79 total points. That level of play is what Triche said he expects against St. Rose on Tuesday. With each successive game, the SU rotation — which now includes roughly a dozen players — can become more fluid and continue to mesh.

One area Syracuse will look to improve on against St. Rose is 3-point shooting. The Orange converted a paltry 3-of-16 from long range against Cal State-LA. Triche, Waiters and freshman Michael Carter-Williams, all players who figure to be part of Boeheim’s backcourt rotation once the regular season gets going, missed all eight 3s they attempted.

But, as Boeheim said, the slow start was to be expected.

‘I think offensively — well, it takes a little while to get going offensively,’ he said. ‘We didn’t shoot it very well in the first half. We did a little bit better in the second half.’

mjcohe02@syr.edu

Published on November 7, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Michael: mjcohe02@syr.edu | @Michael_Cohen13