Christmas has double-double, No. 23 Syracuse beats Hampton 65-47

Hampton’s Quinton Chievous, right, falls as he battles for a rebound against Syracuse’s Chris McCullough, left, in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Syracuse, N.Y., Sunday, Nov. 16, 2014. (AP Photo/Nick Lisi) (The Associated Press)

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim yells to his players in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Hampton in Syracuse, N.Y., Sunday, Nov. 16, 2014. (AP Photo/Nick Lisi) (The Associated Press)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Rakeem Christmas had 15 points and 16 rebounds, freshman Chris McCullough added 13 points, and No. 23 Syracuse beat Hampton 65-47 on Sunday in the 2K Classic.

Syracuse opened the season Friday night with an 89-42 win over Kennesaw State. The Pirates dropped their opener 90-56 at Iowa.

Hampton has four starters back from a team that went 18-13 last year in the MEAC and has added Quinton Chievous, a graduate student transfer from Tennessee. Chievous had 17 points to lead Hampton against the Orange, who pulled away late.

Michael Gbinije, who sat out the opener, had nine points, Trevor Cooney 8, and freshman point guard Kaleb Joseph had five points and five assists for the Orange, who shot 41.5 percent (22 of 53) and outrebounded Hampton just 38-32 after finishing with a 30-rebound edge in the opener.