Donnie Freeman scored 20 points and Kiyan Anthony added 19 as Syracuse suffocated visiting Delaware State on Saturday in a resounding 83-43 victory.

Sadiq White Jr. pitched in with 10 points for the Orange (2-0), while William Kyle III notched eight points, 13 rebounds and six blocks. Syracuse continued to play without top returning scorer JJ Starling (lower body), who was injured early in the team’s season opener.

Ponce James scored nine points to pace Delaware State (0-2), which shot just 21.5 percent from the field and 1 of 14 from 3-point range. John Clemmons had eight points for the Hornets, while Cyril Obasogie pulled down seven rebounds.

After cruising to an 85-47 win over Binghamton in their first game, the Orange picked up right where they left off in this one. They jumped out to a 10-2 lead and took their first double-digit advantage on White’s layup less than eight minutes into the contest.

Syracuse led 17-9 when Freeman scored back-to-back fast-break buckets to ignite a 10-0 run. Bryce Zephir added a 3-pointer shortly thereafter before Freeman’s three-point play made it 27-9.

Delaware State went more than five minutes without a field goal until Bessanty Saragba’s layup with 6:17 to play in the half. However, Anthony promptly responded with five straight points to push the Orange’s lead north of 20 for the first time.

Syracuse scored seven unanswered points in the final two minutes of the half, highlighted by Tyler Betsey’s 3-pointer, to go into the locker room ahead 40-17.

The Hornets shot just 5 of 33 from the field in the first half, including shooting 0-for-9 from 3-point range.

Delaware State made three buckets in less than a minute early in the second half, but the visitors’ momentum did not last long. Syracuse answered with a 15-1 run with White scoring six points and Freeman adding five, and the hosts cruised to the finish line.

–Field Level Media