JJ Starling scored a career-high 38 points and Eddie Lampkin came up big in double overtime as Syracuse held off visiting Youngstown State 104-95 on Saturday afternoon.
Starling shot 14 of 23 from the field, smashing his previous high of 26 points. Lampkin finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists and Donnie Freeman chipped in 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Orange (3-0), who recovered after blowing an eight-point lead in the final 75 seconds of the first overtime.
EJ Farmer recorded a career-best 26 points for the Penguins (1-2), while Nico Galette pitched in 21 points and seven rebounds and Ty Harper notched 17 points and seven rebounds.
Starling opened overtime with a layup and a jumper on the first two Syracuse possessions. Then his jumper made it an eight-point game with 1:15 remaining.
The Penguins’ Juwan Maxey made two 3-pointers to cut the deficit to two. Jaquan Carlos missed two foul shots for Syracuse, setting up Harper’s game-tying free throws with seven seconds to play.
After the furious rally by Youngstown State, Elijah Moore hit a clutch 3-pointer to give Syracuse a two-point lead early in double overtime. Lampkin then took over with three buckets in a stretch of 1 1/2 minutes, helping the hosts take a 95-91 lead with just over two minutes left.
Starling’s layup with 1:11 to go created a 98-93 lead, and the Orange made their free throws down the stretch.
The game was tied at 64 when Galette drained a 3-pointer with 2:38 remaining in regulation. Lampkin and Freeman answered with buckets for the Orange, however, as Syracuse slipped ahead 68-67 with two minutes left.
Farmer, meanwhile, was doing everything he could on the other end. He made a jumper on the Penguins’ next trip and added two foul shots shortly thereafter to keep the visitors ahead 71-70 with 56 seconds to play in the second half.
Galette and Starling traded big shots down the stretch in regulation, with Galette converting a layup with 14 seconds remaining and Starling tying it up with his jumper six seconds later, sending the game to overtime.
