NCAAB Game Preview - Morehead State at Syracuse

Sat Nov 10, 2018 7:00 PM EST

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim talked more about the 66 points his team scored in Tuesday's season-opening, 66-34 win over Eastern Washington, and not so much about the 34 points the Orange defense allowed the Eagles at the Carrier Dome.

The No. 16 Orange are known for their stifling 2-3 zone defense under Boeheim, who also implemented some full-court pressure against Eastern Washington. The great unknown to Boeheim is how Syracuse's offense will generate points.

His son, Buddy Boeheim, a 6-foot-5 true freshman, led the Orange with only three assists. Syracuse had just 11 assists on the 24 field goals made. The Orange shot 38.7 percent from the field and 17.6 percent from 3-point range.

"Every time you go out to play, you are going to learn something," the elder Boeheim said. "More bad things today than we would like to look at. I think our offense is a little difficult when you don't have a point guard out there.

"You have to do more ball movement and we aren't moving things the way we need to move them to be a good team right now."

Heading into Saturday's home game against Morehead State (1-1), Jim Boeheim said he wants more players to step forward other than Oshae Brissett, who led the Orange with 20 points against Eastern Washington.

Brissett, a 6-foor-8 small forward, was the only double-digit scorer in the game for both teams. He also led the Orange with eight rebounds and three steals.

"He got on the boards, he was physical, he got to the basket," the elder Boeheim said. "He has been shooting the ball well, but that's what he does the best, I think.

Syracuse's defense held Eastern Washington to 22 percent shooting from the field, the lowest mark since the Orange limited Loyola (Md.) to 19.2 percent on Nov. 25, 2015. Eastern Washington's 34 points are the fewest recorded in the Carrier Dome by an Orange opponent. The previous low was 35 points Dec. 10, 2005, by Colgate.

Morehead State is coming off an 80-70 loss at Connecticut on Thursday, a game in which the Eagles rallied twice, from a 13-point deficit in the first half and 16 points down in the second half, to make the game interesting.

Senior forward Lamontray Harris posted his ninth career double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while senior guard A.J. Hicks had a career-high nine assists.

"I knew we could come in and compete, but our goals were, could we come in and play Morehead State basketball and not let their defensive pressure or the crowd or whatever factors were against us not take us away from our game? We did that," Morehead State coach Preston Spradlin said. "We got better tonight. I was really proud of my guys."

Saturday's game is part of the 2018 2K Empire Classic, with the semifinals and finals played next week at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Orange will play Connecticut Thursday in one semifinal. They will then play Iowa or Oregon in the third-place game or championship game Friday.