Notebook: JJ Starling scores career-high 38 points in Syracuse win

Syracuse needed two overtimes to put away Youngstown State as the Orange won 104-95.

The Orange improved to 3-0 on the season and will face Texas on Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Here are five scenarios for winning in double overtime.

JJ Starling established himself as Syracuse’s go-to man by dropping 38 points and putting Syracuse to the finish line down the stretch.

The Baldwinsville junior had gotten off to a slow start to the year, averaging just 13 points in the first two games. Against the Penguins, Starling was aggressive to the rim, finishing 14-23 from the field. He only went 2-7 from 3-point range, but the two he made were both key to sparking the offense in the second half.

“We kind of stopped running (other offensive plays) and just got the ball in the middle of the field and let JJ go to work. And when players have that look, as a coach, you know,” Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry said.

Starling had 10 points in the final five minutes of the second half and added an assist to Freeman in transition. He also scored six of Syracuse’s 13 points in the first overtime while late in the game, sitting just 53 seconds and playing 49 minutes.

“It was adrenaline,” Starling said after 49 minutes.

Syracuse’s bigs got to work early as Penguins center Gave Dynes spent much of the first half in foul trouble.

With Dynes off the floor and Youngstown State without another player taller than 6’9″, the Orange constantly attacked the basket. Youngstown State tried to slow down SU with double-team center Eddie Lampkin in the post.

But Lampkin made them pay, as he finished with a team-high seven assists.

“(Lampkin) is one of the main reasons we’re still scoring right now because of that,” Autry said. “Getting (rebounds) on the offensive glass, and when they double, getting one or two rebounds. So he generates easy points.”

In the second half, Dynes again had four fouls, picking up his fourth foul with 13 minutes remaining. Even when Dynes returned, he couldn’t play as aggressively, which meant easier buckets for Lampkin and Starling in the paint.

The Orange’s overall size advantage allowed them to drive to the basket and draw fouls. SU shot 38 free throws on the afternoon.

Syracuse’s freshman class of Donnie Freeman, Petar Majstorovic and Elijah Moore all played big minutes as the game stretched into two overtimes and SU’s top rotation players began to foul.

Majstorovic finished with two points and three rebounds in four minutes, looking the most comfortable he has all year.

Moore played 16 minutes and knocked down his first collegiate 3-pointer and finished with five points.

But the biggest day was reserved for Freeman, who played 38 minutes and finished with a career-high 19 points on 8-13 shooting from the field.

His development in just three games was evident as he made a 3-pointer in the second half and two big free throws in the second overtime. He was tied for second in team efficiency, behind Starling and second in points per minute.

He also added 12 rebounds and had a key block in crunch time.

“It was an intense match. Since I have limited college experience, sometimes you have to learn things on the fly, so that’s what I did today and it worked,” Freeman said.

With JJ Starling scoring at will and commanding the offense, Autry opted to play Lucas Taylor, a shooter, in favor of Jaquan Carlos, a point guard, with Syracuse not needing another ball handler.

As a result, Taylor played a season-high minutes with 19. His offensive contributions were limited as his only shot attempt from the field was a dunk and he made all four of his free throws.

But Lucas struggled on the defensive end and was surprised several times by losing his man on turnovers. He committed one foul in just 19 minutes.

This prompted Carlos to return to the court, where he played 30 of 50 minutes. Carlos struggled offensively, going 1-6 from the field and missing two free throws in overtime, allowing Youngstown State to force a second overtime . Like Lucas, he also made a mistake.

In three games, Syracuse has a four-point win, a two-point win, and a double overtime win, all at home against lesser opponents. They trailed at halftime in two games and could have lost all three at the buzzer.

In the first overtime, Syracuse led by eight with just over a minute to play, but then gave up two 3-pointers, was blocked on a jumper, missed two free throws and gave up two free throws to force a double overtime.

It was a familiar frustration for home fans who have yet to see this talented Syracuse team play consistently to its capabilities.

Autry knows his team needs to improve, but he’s taken a glass-glass-half-full approach.

“We could have easily folded in that game, and we didn’t both times,” Autry said. “I think the composure of this team, as you can all see, in these first three games, is pretty unwavering. Do we need to improve? Yes, but I’m just going to congratulate my team and try to prepare for what lies ahead and to continue to improve.”

—-

Discuss this story and all things Syracuse and Syracuse recruiting on our premium discussion forum, Cuse Classified!

Follow us on Twitter @LeJuiceOnlineas us on Facebookfollow us on Instagram @SUJuiceOnline and listen our podcast.

Advice/questions/concerns? Charles Kang, Email Recruiting Analyst here.

Not a subscriber to The Juice Online? Join us today to access all of our premium content and discussion forum community.