Eddie Lampkin Jr. hit the go-ahead layup in the final minute on Tuesday night for host Syracuse, which survived poor free throw shooting the rest of the way to escape with a 74-72 win over Colgate in New York.
Lampkin paired 15 points with 12 rebounds for the Orange (2-0), who frittered away a 13-point second half lead before Lampkin’s bucket with 46 seconds left. Syracuse missed the front end of a one-of-one three times in the last 23 seconds, but the Raiders (1-2) could not capitalize.
Chris Bell (14 points) and JJ Starling (12 points) also scored in double figures, while Jyare Davis (eight points, nine rebounds) flirted with a double-double off the bench. Lampkin and Jaquan Carlos (three points) tied for the team lead with five assists.
Jalen Cox scored 21 points for Colgate, which ended the game on a 32-21 run but missed its final two shots with a chance to tie or take the lead. Chandler Baker had 15 points off the bench, while starters Parker Jones and Brady Cummins added 10 points apiece.
Colgate finally tied the game at 72-72 with 1:19 left, when Jeff Woodward hit a bank shot in the lane. Lampkin responded with his tie-breaking basket, after which a 3-pointer by Nicolas Louis-Jacques rimmed in and out with 27 seconds left.
Davis grabbed the rebound but missed the front end of a one-and-one. Cox then missed a potential game-tying jumper, after which Davis corralled the rebound and missed another free throw. Lucas Taylor had the offensive rebound but missed his one-and-one opportunity.
Jones collected the rebound and dished to Cox, who passed up the right sideline to Louis-Jacques. Louis-Jaques stumbled, and the ball glanced off him and out of bounds as time expired.
The frantic finish capped a game filled with runs. Syracuse scored the first seven points before Colgate answered with a 16-5 spurt to take its biggest lead on Jones’ 3-pointer with 12:12 left.
Syracuse responded with an 18-6 run, after which Colgate scored the next eight points and tied the game at 30-30 on Baker’s layup with 3:31 to go before halftime.
The Orange led 36-33 at the half and scored 17 of the first 24 points out of the break. Bell’s layup with 14:35 to go gave Syracuse a 53-40 lead before the Raiders rallied.
–Field Level Media
