Syracuse rides emotional win into game vs. CCSU
Gerry McNamara's first season as Syracuse's coach has started with a more challenging week than he could have imagined. The Orange (1-0) hope to deliver a second straight win for their new coach on Thursday night when they host Central Connecticut State. McNamara, a star on the 2003 Syracuse national championship team, was brought in to revive a program that has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2021. He earned a 74-58 win over New Haven in his debut Monday, but that hardly was the only obstacle McNamara has faced this week. Gerard McNamara, his father and long-time supporter, died Saturday at the age of 78 after battling cancer. Gerry McNamara coached through the emotions Monday, when his team scored the first 18 points en route to the comfortable win. "I would definitely say it meant a lot to give him something to smile about, especially going through something like that nobody really wanted to go through," transfer guard Garwey Dual said after defeating the Chargers. "I feel like we handled our job and definitely gave him something to be happy about today." Kiyan Anthony led Syracuse with 17 points, while newcomer Gavin Doty (14 points, 13 rebounds) and returnee
