No. 24 Syracuse 89, Kennesaw State 42: Chris McCullough began his collegiate career with 16 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists as the host Orange enjoyed a stress-free season opener.

A highly regarded freshman, McCullough shot 6-of-14 and pulled down five offensive boards for a Syracuse team looking to replace three starters. Rakeem Christmas, the lone senior in the starting lineup, contributed a career-high 21 points as well as nine rebounds and two blocks for the Orange (1-0).

B.J. Johnson added a career-high 19 points off the bench for Syracuse while freshman Kaleb Joseph recorded four points, six assists and five rebounds in his Orange debut. The Owls (0-1), who shot 32.7 percent and committed 25 turnovers, were led by Nigel Pruitt's 11 points.

Syracuse led 9-7 before embarking on a 22-2 run over the next 7 1/2 minutes - a stretch that was part of an 11-minute span during which the Orange forced 11 turnovers and held the Owls to one field goal. McCullough and Johnson led all scorers with 11 points in the first half.

The Orange scored 14 of the first 18 points in the second half, including six points from Christmas, to push the lead to 30. At one point during the second half, Christmas - who averaged only 5.8 points last season - scored eight straight points as Syracuse cruised to the finish line.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Johnson played a total of 55 minutes as a freshman last season and did not score more than seven points in any game. ... Kennesaw State had only seven offensive rebounds on its 35 missed shots and was outrebounded 56-26 overall. ... Orange G Michael Gbinije, the team's sixth man, did not play due to an unspecified violation of team rules.