For the first time in his Syracuse career, Tyus Battle hit the Carrier Dome floor. The Orange had spent nearly the entire game to that point climbing back from an early deficit. Battle’s falter was another blunder in a forgettable opening 15 minutes.

But Battle kept his dribble going and escaped the collapsing Indiana University of Pennsylvania defense by finding a teammate on the perimeter. Moments later, he got a pass back at the top of the key. He unloaded his third 3 of the night, hung his follow-through and watched the ball swish through the net.

The triple gave SU its first lead of the night and the Orange never looked back. Tyler Lydon spun around and yelled, “Let’s go!” as Battle stood stationary. Albeit in an exhibition, Battle gave Syracuse’s offense life, setting SU up to cruise in the second half.

“He had a good first half, he was real good,” Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. “He was the only guy who got it going for us. He’s a gamer. He’s going to play that way.”

Battle finished with 16 points on 4-of-5 from 3 in 26 minutes on Tuesday night in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse took down the Crimson Hawks, 83-65, and Battle’s spark was one of the few constants in a game full of new looks — new players and new schemes — from the Orange.

The first time Battle publicly took to the Carrier Dome floor, he won Syracuse’s dunk contest at Orange Madness on Oct. 21. On Tuesday, he actually played in a game against another team and he shined again.

Earlier in the first half, Battle keyed an 18-2 run with seven points to bring Syracuse back from a 29-18 deficit. First he hit a midrange jumper from the right elbow. Then he snuck behind the Crimson Hawks’ defense, received a backdoor pass from Taurean Thompson and laid the ball in.

“Knocking down open shots, just being aggressive, staying aggressive, finding my team,” Battle said of what was successful against IUP, “and just trying to make a positive impact on the floor.”

Liam Sheehan | Staff Photographer

Midway through the second half, Battle’s shoe slipped off during a scrum for a rebound. He tossed it to the sideline and called for the ball on the offensive end. Trainer Brad Pike picked it up.

Even without the shoe, Battle called for the ball on the wing. He planted himself on the right side on his first offensive possession without it. On the second offensive possession with just one shoe on, he lifted a hand in the air as the defense sagged off him. Fans in the student section clamored for him to receive a pass he never did.

But at the next stoppage, Battle got his shoe back from Pike and tied it up. With the proper footwear on, he reeled in a rebound that immediately led to a Lydon transition dunk with 9:40 left to play in the contest.

Entering the season, Boeheim has praised Battle’s athleticism and ability to attack at the rim. But on Tuesday, Battle’s offensive contributions mainly came from knocking down shots on the perimeter. He said he could look to drive to the basket more than he did on Tuesday since that would open other teammates too.

While Battle said he’s “always been pretty confident in my jump shot,” it’s an area of his game that Battle worked on over the summer with assistant coach Gerry McNamara.

“Obviously it paid off today,” Battle said. “Hopefully it continues during the season.”

Battle subbed out 50 seconds after the Lydon dunk but came back once more to end the game. With four minutes left, Battle nailed another 3, one final exclamation point on a game he impressed in.

“I saw a fearlessness. He wasn’t scared,” point guard Frank Howard said. “… He didn’t play like a freshman.”

Published on November 1, 2016 at 9:11 pm

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