Syracuse University (2-0) is set to embark on its first road trip of the regular season as the Orange face off against the Drexel Dragons (1-2) in the Autumn Invitational on Saturday, November 15, at 3:30 p.m. The game will occur at Xfinity Mobile Arena, following an earlier matchup between La Salle and Penn State.
This season’s roster is notably filled with new talent, and Syracuse has already secured two victories, showcasing a variety of player rotations. In their recent triumph over Delaware State, the starting lineup consisted of four newcomers, with sophomore forward only returning from last year’s squad. Freeman was instrumental in the victory, scoring 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting and contributing four assists and five rebounds.
Senior center also made a significant impact, scoring eight points while grabbing 13 rebounds and achieving a career-high six blocks. Junior guard and senior guard joined Freeman in the starting five, each contributing seven points. Freshman Anthony, in his first career start, was particularly impressive, scoring 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting and adding four assists and three boards. Another freshman forward also came off the bench to score in double-digits for the first time, netting 10 points.
Syracuse has demonstrated its best defensive performance to start a season in over a decade, allowing only 90 points across their opening two games, which is the lowest combined total since the 2014-15 season. Their commanding 83-43 win over Delaware State included limiting their opponent to just 215 shooting from the field—the lowest percentage allowed by Syracuse since 2014.
Kyle III has been a defensive standout, totaling a team-high seven blocks, including six against Delaware State, marking a notable achievement for Syracuse. The Orange aim to continue this defensive momentum against Drexel, which is averaging 80.3 points per game after a recent loss to Colgate.
Drexel, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back after starting the season with a 1-2 record, winning their opener against Widener but falling in consecutive games against Saint Joseph’s and Colgate. Junior Shane Blakeney leads the Dragons and has been a standout performer, averaging 14.3 points per game and shining in playmaking with eight assists.
Head Coach Zach Spiker is in his tenth season with Drexel and has a track record of strong leadership, notably guiding the team to its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1996. Historically, Syracuse holds a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series with Drexel, winning their last encounter in 2021 by a score of 75-60.
As fans eagerly anticipate this matchup, tickets for the Syracuse basketball season are available at cuse.com/feature/basketball-tickets. The Orange are poised to keep their early-season winning streak alive while looking to maintain their exceptional defensive statistics against Drexel’s high-scoring offense.