Gerry McNamara tossed the ball up in the air and there was never a doubt who would come down with it – Hakim Warrick.

McNamara and Warrick combined for two first-half alley-oops Tuesday night, scoring a combined 26 points in the Syracuse men’s basketball team’s 101-46 win over Le Moyne at the Carrier Dome.

McNamara finished with 14 points on 3-of-6 shooting from 3-point range, while Warrick scored 12 points and added five assists, five rebounds and four blocks.

‘Sometimes, we just feel like we’re in each other’s minds,’ Warrick said. ‘We just know what to do and when to go. It’s from playing with each other for three years.’

McNamara said that usually he catches Warrick for a quick glance before making the initial pass, but it’s more when he sees Warrick streaking that he takes the chance.

‘He doesn’t really need to be ready,’ McNamara said. ‘I just throw it anywhere and he’ll get it. You have to have that connection.’

Not only did the alley-oops excite the crowd, but the plays juiced the rest of the team on the bench and the floor.

‘It fires you up when you see that,’ sophomore Terrence Roberts said, noting that his demeanor after the plays was tapered by the fact the game was only an exhibition.

But if it happened during the regular season, Roberts said, he’d most likely be jumping up and down, showcasing his excitement over the plays.

‘I know when the guys see me and Gerry make an alley-oop, it gets them excited,’ Warrick said. ‘I get excited when I see them make fancy plays.’

In the second half, McNamara and Warrick continued their assault on the Dolphins defense before giving way to the bench at the first media timeout with the rest of SU’s starters.

Before being taken out, McNamara nailed consecutive 3-pointers and Warrick added two short-range shots, as well as a block. McNamara and Warrick each played 21 minutes. The two hardly needed to play any more with their presence already felt.

But it served as an early-season reminder as to what a dominating one-two punch Warrick and McNamara can be – with or without the fancy play.

‘It’s good going out there,’ Warrick said. ‘The first game, there’s always a lot of excitement. No matter who you’re playing, you want to have a good showing, execute and play hard.’

While SU’s sophomores and freshmen were given most of the time to showcase their talent, Warrick and McNamara provided a calm start to the game, scoring seven of the first 14 points.

‘It’s real fun watching those guys,’ freshman forward Dayshawn Wright said. ‘They’re some of the best in college basketball.’

Published on November 2, 2004 at 12:00 pm