Maliq Brown is perfect and Syracuse disposes of Niagara (Donna Ditota’s quick

Syracuse, N.Y. — Happy holidays!

Syracuse played its final men’s basketball non-conference game of the 2023-24 season Thursday evening. Niagara and our friend Greg Paulus closed out that portion of the year.

The Orange hoped to improve its (official) 7-3 record before moving on to Pittsburgh next Saturday. (The NCAA does not consider wins over Division II teams when it computes postseason resumes.)

Syracuse led Niagara 38-28 at the break. Final score: Syracuse 83-71.

Here’s what happened:

It was a curiously sleepy first half for the Orange in general and the starters in particular.

Syracuse trailed 13-12 before Adrian Autry subbed in nearly an entire line of Orange.

Enter Quadir Copeland, Kyle Cuffe, Benny Williams, Maliq Brown. Judah Mintz stayed in the game.

That lineup cranked it up again on defense (reminiscent of the Oregon game in South Dakota) and was a menace in the open floor or in the driving lanes.

SU outscored Niagara 16-7 until Justin Taylor reemerged for Williams.

The Orange got its points primarily with Copeland driving to the bucket, but Williams made a 3, Cuffe finished in transition off a Williams pass, Brown put back a Cuffe missed drive. There were plenty of highlight moments for the bench during that stretch, which outscored Niagara’s bench 24-7 by intermission.

Syracuse’s starters looked sort of disinterested in this game.

Autry was trying to clap them up to offer a little inspiration, but SU just came out flat. The JMA Wireless Dome crowd, perhaps anticipating their post-game destinations, was very quiet. There was no real energy in the building.

Until the subs checked in.

The starters were, FYI, a combined 5-of-19 shooting in the first half. The subs were 9-of-15.

The starters were better to start the second half. Mintz was the catalyst. He scored on a drive. He found Chris Bell for a wing 3. He threw a long pass to Bell, who made a terrific catch and finish at the rim.

That play increased SU’s lead to 48-33, at which point Paulus called time out.

The game kind of droned on from there. Syracuse was not particularly inspiring against Niagara’s press. Niagara was in the bonus with about eight minutes left in the game.

I’m guessing everybody is happy the game is over and their Christmas break has begun.

Niagara stayed in the game because of the phenomenal shooting of its 6-foot guard Luke Bumbalough.

He had 17 points in the first half. He was 6-of-9 overall and 5-of-7 from the 3-point line. When Autry sent in Cuffe (who is probably SU’s most solid, most consistently interested guard defender) to check Bumbalough, he played good defense and still Bumbalough drained the first 3 he attempted with Cuffe covering him.

He was so good that a half-court heave he attempted at the buzzer bounced off the back iron. It was close to going in.

But Syracuse kept him in relative check in the second half. And by relative, I mean he still finished with 26 points. JJ Starling mostly guarded him, though Cuffe had his moments.

Because nobody but initially Bumbalough and later Yao Obeng-Mensah could score enough for the Purple Eagles, it was tough for them to seriously chip into SU’s lead.

So I have been basically begging Syracuse to get the ball to Maliq Brown more.

He leads all Syracuse players in points per possession (1.44 coming into this game via ShotQuality). Generally good things happen when he gets the ball near the basket. He was 30-of-40 from the field before Thursday’s game. That 75% ranked 10th nationally.

He went 6-for-6 against Niagara. Included in that stat was the first 3-point make of his Orange career.

Copeland consistently looks for him. (He had eight assists.) It probably helps that the two play together a lot during practices.

Brown finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. And again — he did not miss a shot.

NOTES: Mintz found a little bit of foul trouble in the second half and played 25 minutes Thursday. He scored 18. … Benny Williams has turned into a good passer. He was credited with just one assist, but could have had more if his teammates finished. … Points off turnovers: 15-4 Syracuse; fast break points 20-10 Syracuse, paint points 44-32 Syracuse. … Justin Taylor made three second-half 3s.

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