Syracuse (5-0) has opened the year on a five-game win streak, but its first real test comes Monday night when it takes on Maryland (6-1) inside the Carrier Dome. The Orange enters the matchup after an eight-point win over Toledo, a game where Frank Howard stepped up when SU’s leader, Tyus Battle, left with an injury. The Terrapins downed New Mexico, 80-65, in the consolation game of the Emerald Coast Classic.

Here are our three beat writers’ thoughts on the matchup.

Sam Fortier (5-0)
Strong words, gentle deeds
Syracuse 69, Maryland 66

This season, the Terps have looked great (beating Butler by 14 while shooting 57 percent) and … not so great (losing to St. Bonaventure by two shooting 42 percent). It’s tough to tell which Maryland will show up on Monday night for one of the youngest teams in the nation’s first true road games, but one consistent point has been UMD’s inability to take care of the ball. Maryland ranks among the worst in the nation in turnovers, giving the ball away on a quarter of its possessions. That, plus its inexperience, allows Syracuse to nudge ahead and grab an early-season win over a strong nonconference opponent.

Matthew Gutierrez (5-0)
Fear the turtle
Syracuse 61, Maryland 60

This is a tossup. Maryland committed 20 turnovers and shot just 5-for-23 from deep in an upset loss to St. Bonaventure, but the Terps looked good in beating Butler earlier in the season and boast a 6-1 overall record. UMD’s turnover numbers and cold shooting bode especially well for SU. Given the way Syracuse played without Tyus Battle last week, the Orange wins the back-and-forth game in front of its largest crowd of the season.

Tomer Langer (5-0)
Out of gas
Syracuse 73, Maryland 65

The Terrapins are the strongest team SU has played this year. But they’ll be playing their third game in four nights, while the Orange has been able to rest since Wednesday. UMD’s weakness is its high turnover rate, and a tired team should continue to struggle holding onto the ball. SU’s stifling zone, and time off, should help it pass its first test.

Published on November 26, 2017 at 7:14 pm