Prep basketball: Syracuse boys outrun Bonneville for first win of Godderidge era
Lakers struggle from free-throw line, Titans run away with 2nd half
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- Syracuse junior Skyler Orton (2) ducks under Bonneville junior Cole Kennedy (10) for a layup during a home game Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Syracuse senior Ben Tesch (3) defends a shot by Bonneville junior Davis DeGroot (23) during a home game Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Bonneville junior Davis DeGroot (23) makes a move on Syracuse senior Hudson Hess (1) during a road game Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Syracuse senior Bradlee Trejo (5) high fives teammate Carter Robinson (24) after Robinson draws a foul vs. Bonneville during a home game Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Bonneville freshman Bryson Landis (33) looks for a pass while matched up with Syracuse junior Carter Robinson (24) during a road game Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- The Syracuse student section roars during a home game vs. Bonneville Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Syracuse.
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- Syracuse junior Carter Robinson (24) and Bonneville freshman Bryson Landis (33) go for the tip during a game Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Syracuse.
SYRACUSE — Syracuse boys basketball is back in the win column.
Double-figure scoring by junior Carter Robinson and Skyler Orton led first-year Titans coach Greg Godderidge to a convincing 57-36 victory over Bonneville and veteran coach Kyle Bullinger in Friday’s home opener.
Robinson’s 16 points led the floor, as the Titans (1-1) found ways to keep their big man hard to miss inside the paint. Syracuse, trailing the Lakers (0-1) by a basket after the first quarter and previously giving up a 12-point lead at Pleasant Grove, snapped into shape by halftime.
Godderidge said Robinson’s position on the floor ultimately determines the flow of the Titans’ attack and his junior post’s role was a key part of Friday’s game plan.
“Every day in practice that’s where we’re going,” Godderidge said. “We’re going inside out.”
Still, Godderidge felt Syracuse didn’t gravitate toward the glass as fiercely as he would’ve liked, especially out of the gate.
The Lakers, led by freshman center Bryson Landis (11 points), found multiple extra possessions throughout the first half but ultimately struggled from the field and finished 9 of 19 at the free-throw line on a night when those extra baskets were key to staying in the fight.
The Lakers recovered from a 5-0 deficit, picking up a couple fouls and paint action by junior Cole Kennedy, to hang an 11-10 lead on the Titans at the end of the first quarter.
Those second-chance points weren’t part of the story for Bonneville in the first half, however, and it became extremely evident in the second quarter. Bullinger pointed to those missed opportunities as the crux of what weighed the Lakers through the first 16 minutes.
“We had a lot of second chances, but you’ve gotta convert second chances,” Bullinger said. “Otherwise, your expelling a lot of energy transitioning back and those will get away from you.”
Robinson, leading the floor with seven points at halftime, joined senior teammate Bradlee Trejo netting a pair of and-one buckets following a Bonneville timeout for a 20-11 advantage midway through the second quarter.
Three consecutive turnovers by the Lakers deepened the wound late in the half, but Landis drew the whistle and brought Bonneville back within six with little over a minute to go. Syracuse junior Becham Rees spotted a last-second fadeaway to give his group a nine-point lead at the break.
Many of the Lakers’ possible answers came down to an offense that just couldn’t get its act together, Bullinger said. The former Weber State Wildcat welcomed Landis’ size with open arms this offseason but admitted a strong set of eyes inside is only part of the equation.
“I’m excited to have a kid like (Landis) in our program,” Bullinger said. “To watch him have a lot of success tonight was a lot of fun. … We haven’t had a big body in our program in a long time and our kids need to get comfortable playing with some of that size and skill level.”
Opening the second half 0 for 2, Bonneville burned a timeout to regroup but managed just seven points through the next five minutes. Robinson and Trejo combined for 11 of the Titans’ 17 third-quarter points — matching their second-quarter production — to push off the Lakers 44-25 heading into the fourth quarter.
Godderidge could see the visible confidence up and down his roster heading into the second half with some momentum, a trait he’s hoping to hone long-term.
“We gotta catch the fire, we gotta feel it and they gotta get that confidence back,” Godderidge said. “For me, it’s building win after win and you could see it on their faces tonight. They could feel themselves.”
Bonneville earned three trips to the stripe in the fourth quarter but came away with half of those free points. Jace Nielsen, sinking two of those free throws, and Braxton Henstra each scrounged up two points off the bench through the final stretch.
After the loss, Bullinger said he’s directing his attention to preparing the Lakers for the aggressive nature of their remaining non-region and Region 5 schedule.
“We were out of sorts due to their physicality,” Bullinger said. “It snowballed on us pretty quick. We were short on our jumpers, we lost our legs really quickly and we lost the ability to execute our offense.”
Syracuse travels to East High and Bonneville saddles up for Sky View on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
BOX SCORE
Bonneville 11 7 7 11 – 36
Syracuse 10 17 17 13 – 57
BHS (36): Landis 11, Tesch 7, DeGroot 5, Call 4, Dunyon 3, Nielsen 2, Henstra 2.
SHS (57): Robinson 16, Orton 13, Trejo 9, Rees 7, Hess 5, Ashcroft 3, Hoenigman 2, Sohl 2.
Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.
