When you’re ranked 19th in the nation going into you first exhibition game the expectations are pretty high. However when you lead by only 5 points at halftime versus a Division II team you get a bit concerned. This is exactly the situation Syracuse was in against Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), 38-33.
Yes, the Orange would go on to win 83-65, but let’s put things in perspective. Syracuse trailed most of the first half, taking their first lead of the game at 30-29 at the 5:10 mark. It took nearly 10-12 minutes for Syracuse to realize that their intensity was not keeping up with IUP’s.