SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Reserve Jyare Davis scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Donnie Freeman added a double-double and Syracuse fought off Le Moyne in a 86-82 win on Monday night in the season opener for both teams
Chris Bell scored 20 points for Syracuse, J.J. Starling 14, and Freeman 10 to go along with 11 rebounds. Eddie Lampkin Jr. also scored 10 points for Syracuse.
Freds Pauls Bagatskis led Le Moyne — a member of the Northeast Conference — with 18 points, reserves Will Amica 12 and Nate Fouts 11 and Dwayne Koroma and Zek Tekin 10 apiece.
Koroma's layup with 1:47 left, and following three missed shot attempts on Syracuse's ensuing possession, Trent Mosquera made a 3-pointer with 1:02 left and the Dolphins were within 81-79.
After a Syracuse timeout, Starling made a layup for a four-point cushion before Pauls Bagatskis made another 3 for Le Moyne with 22 seconds remaining.
After another Orange timeout, Mosquera fouled Jaquan Carlos who made 1 of 2 free throws for an 84-82 lead. Le Moyne worked for a shot, but with six seconds left, Bell came up with a steal on Fouts who fouled Bell sending him to the foul line where made both for the game's final margin.
Le Moyne led 41-36 at halftime. Neither team managed a double-digit lead.
Syracuse has won all seven meetings between the schools since they first met in the 1977-78 season. Prior to Monday, the teams last met in 2008-09 and the Orange won 85-51.
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