Kiyan Anthony’s aggressive play 'sparks' Syracuse win over Mercyhurst

Kiyan Anthony finished through contact on Wednesday, propelling the Orange to a win over Mercyhurst.

Dec 17, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange guard Kiyan Anthony (7) drives against Mercyhurst Lakers guard Christian Gamble (10) during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Syracuse guard Kiyan Anthony was coming off a disappointing game in a loss to Hofstra on Saturday.

In SU's final possession down 70-69, he drove and appeared to be fouled, but no such call was made as the Orange dropped their first game ever to the Pride.

He came back on Wednesday with a short memory, consistently finishing through contact in a 76-62 win over Mercyhurst on Wednesday evening at the JMA Wireless Dome. With the win, Syarcuse improved to 7-4 on the season with just two more tuneups before the start of ACC play.

Anthony makes an immediate impact off the bench

Anthony came off the bench at around the 13 minute mark, and worked quickly to find his scoring touch.

On his second basket of the game, he fought through contact again and this time he scored with a foul being called with 9:17 before intermission. This shot came on a crafty up-and-under move close to the basket while his first basket was a jumper just outside of the paint.

Anthony’s four points early helped Syracuse solidify a double-digit lead that they would carry after he went to the bench for some rest.

The guard checked back into the game with a few minutes left in the first and added to his tally. Anthony curled into an open spot on the arc, a similar spot to Starling’s earlier triple, and knocked down a 3 of his own. This shot propelled the Orange to a 36-21 lead with 2:10 left in the first half.

Anthony continued to attack in the second half

Midway through the second half, Anthony was back to his attacking ways.

He used a step-through move as he penatrated the lane and a smooth touch off the glass. He completed the 3-point play to put SU up 58-40 with 10:21 left.

A minute later he drove to the left side and converted an easy layup.

He finished with 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting from the field, his sixth game in double figures through 11 games. On the season, he's averaging 10.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per game.

“When he gets those and ones, it just gives us a spark,” Syracuse forward Nate Kingz said. “Him being aggressive, that's when we're at our best.”

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