Syracuse jumped out to an early lead and never relinquished against South Carolina State on Tuesday night in the Carrier Dome. The No. 18 Orange (4-0) defeated the Bulldogs (1-3), 101-59, thanks to a well-rounded offensive display that saw six players reach double-digits. S.C. State entered the game ranked as the 320th-best team in Division I and SU picked it apart as the game progressed.

Here are three takeaways from the contest.

Tyler Lydon shows versatility

In the first three games of the season, Lydon went 2-for-8 from deep. On Tuesday night, he went 4-for-5 from long range. His fourth put Syracuse over the 70-point mark, before fans cheered for ‘Taco Time.’ Throughout the game, he found open spots on the perimeter and cashed in.

Lydon finished with 14 points, three shy of his season-high 17 against Holy Cross. He also recorded 10 rebounds, good for the Orange’s first double-double performance of the year. (Frank Howard and Tyler Roberson also recorded double-doubles against SCSU, the first time three SU players did such a feat since March 2008.)

Taurean Thompson returns

After leaving Syracuse’s last game with about two minutes remaining, Thompson returned with another decent performance. He landed awkwardly against Monmouth and didn’t put any pressure on his left foot as he was helped off the court. Five minutes into Tuesday’s game, Thompson checked in.

He scored 12 points in 24 minutes. His most emphatic play came with just under five minutes to play in the half. He backed down his defender, spun toward the center of the court and threw down a one-handed dunk to put Syracuse up by 17.

After Friday’s game against Monmouth, SU head coach Jim Boeheim said he wasn’t encouraged by Thompson’s play. He scored 12 points but missed several rotations on the defensive end.

In the second half on Tuesday, Thompson knocked down a mid-range jumper to push the Orange’s lead to 21. He held his follow-through as SU was well on its way to victory.

The press still needs some work

Syracuse got off to a 15-3 lead but cooled off from there. The Orange went to its press defense but the Bulldogs repeatedly used cross-court passes to move the ball up the court. Ten of S.C. State’s 31 first-half points came on the fast break.

South Carolina State hit only five of its 27 attempted 3-pointers. The Bulldogs had chances to expose the Orange but couldn’t knock down their shots.

South Carolina State finished the game with 18 of its points coming on fast breaks. But that number could have been much higher considering how often the Bulldogs broke the Orange’s press.

Published on November 22, 2016 at 9:21 pm

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds