Syracuse Set to Host Delaware State on Saturday

Game Details: Saturday, November 8^th, Syracuse, N.Y., 1:00 p.m.
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The Syracuse men's basketball team (1-0) is back in action this Saturday as the Orange host the Delaware State Hornets (0-1) at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday. The Orange's tilt with the Hornets comes on the heels of an 85-47 win over Binghamton in the season opener in which five different players reached double-digit scoring.

NEW LOOK ROSTER IN ACTION
The Orange put its revamped roster into action earlier this week in the win over Binghamton, putting together a well rounded performance in front of the home crowd. Donnie Freeman led the way for Syracuse, scoring a team-high 20 points while grabbing six boards. William Kyle III had a debut to remember, scoring 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting (.888) with six dunks.

Naithan George was efficient in the season opener, notching 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting (.667) while dishing out a team-high eight assists. Kiyan Anthony made his regular season debut for Syracuse, scoring 15 points while grabbing three rebounds and recording three assists. Tyler Betsey joined the group in double digits, finishing with 10 points of his own.

Sadiq White Jr. and Nate Kingz added four points apiece while Luke Fennell recorded his first collegiate bucket in the win as well.

LOCK DOWN DEFENSE
The Orange shutdown Binghamton in the season opener, marking the first time Syracuse has held an opponent under 50 points since November of 2022 when the Orange took down Northeastern, 76-48. From start to finish, Syracuse kept the Bearcats looking for answers on offense.

Syracuse opened the game with Freeman rejecting a shot on the second Binghamton possession of the game. Following the block, Syracuse forced a turnover on five consecutive Binghamton possessions. The lopsided start allowed the Orange to build a comfortable lead early and never look back.

Syracuse held the Bearcats to just 14 points on 4-of-20 (.250) shooting in the opening half, marking the lowest point total in a first half since the Orange held Boston College to 13 in 2020. Syracuse didn't take its foot off the gas in the second frame, as the Bearcats finished shooting 15-of-45 (.333) and just 1-of-13 (.077) from beyond the arc. The Orange will look to replicate the performance against Delaware State on Saturday.

SCOUTING DELAWARE STATE
The Delaware State Hornets come to Syracuse after falling to Temple, 83-65, in their season opener earlier this week. The Hornets are led by Coach Stan Waterman, who is entering his fifth season at the helm. Waterman has piloted the Hornets to a 39-84 record during his time leading the Hornets.

The Hornets are coming off a season in which they went 16-14 and averaged 78.7 points per game. They also grabbed over 13 offensive rebounds per game, a top 20 mark in the nation last year. Heading into the season with a new-look roster, the Hornets were selected to finish fifth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference preseason poll. A pair of returners were named to the conference All-MEAC Preseason Teams, with Ponce James earning First Team honors and Zion Bethea joining the honors as a Second Team honoree.

Waterman trotted out an entirely new starting five to start the 2025-26 season. James and fellow returner Kareem Watson, both now sophomores, made their way into the starting lineup against Temple while graduate transfers Zion Bethea and Rahmir Moore joined the two in the rotation. Muazibini Adamu rounded out the starting five, making his NCAA debut.

Bethea and James led the scoring for the Hornets against Temple, scoring 20 and 16, respectively. Bethea narrowly missed out on a double-double, grabbing eight boards. The Hornets hung close with the Owls, trailing by just eight heading into the break. Yet, Temple shot 16-of-22 (.727) in the second frame to pull away with an 83-65 win. The Hornets struggled to stop the Owls down low in game one, allowing 46 points in the paint.

SERIES HISTORY
This marks the first time in history that the two programs will meet on the hardwood.

TICKETS
Season and individual tickets are available at cuse.com/feature/basketball-tickets.

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Players Mentioned

Kiyan Anthony

Tyler Betsey

Luke Fennell

Donnie Freeman

Naithan George

Nate Kingz

William Kyle III

Sadiq White Jr.

Syracuse University Athletics