The Syracuse University men's basketball team hung tough on Monday night, nearly pulling off a massive upset before losing 78-74 in overtime against No. 3 Houston in their first game of the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas.

The unranked Orange are now 4-1 on the young season. Houston is 5-0.

This game had a little bit of everything, including a lot to like and a lot of room for improvement.

Here's what you need to know:

Orange show they can play with the big boys

After four games against mid and low-majors, the Orange finally got a real test, and they proved they were up for it. They matched Houston's athleticism and physicality, playing an up-tempo game that showcased their speed and defensive tenacity.

The Orange had six steals and were only -6 on the glass. They had 14 offensive rebounds, showing the kind of hustle that Adrian Autry wants to become a staple of this year's team.

Even more impressive? They did it all without leading scorer Donnie Freeman, who is out for the remainder of this tournament (and maybe longer) with a right foot injury.

Inside the box score

--Playing without Freeman, William Kyle III had another big day on the interior, scoring 12 points and bringing down 10 rebounds.

--Six different players scored in double-figures for Syracuse including freshman Tyler Betsey (16), Kyle (12), Naithan George (11), JJ Starling (11), Nate Kingz (10) and Kiyan Anthony (10).

--Syracuse shot 43 percent from the floor while holding Houston to 36 percent.

--The Orange were 8-of-31 from three-point range (26 percent), while Houston was 41 percent (11-of-27).

--Once again, the free-throw line was a bugaboo for the Orange, as they went just 12-of-29 (41 percent).

--Houston had five blocks.

--Both teams committed 13 turnovers, but Houston turned them into 21 points, while Syracuse had just 14 points off turnovers.

--The Orange had 38 points in the paint, while Houston had 24.

Another positive

The play of Betsey. After missing the last game with an ankle injury, the freshman had 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting, but he was 4-of-8 from three-point range. His ability to stretch the floor is something Syracuse needs, especially against longer and more athletic competition.

Main storyline

How long is Freeman going to be out? The pregame report from Syracuse.com provided little optimism:

He is here in Las Vegas and will be reevaluated when the team returns to Syracuse later this week. The hope is that this is not a season-ending injury and that Freeman will heal through rehabilitation and return to the team.

Words like "season-ending" and "hope" are never two things you want to be reading with regards to your best player.

Areas for improvement

1) The free-throw line. The Orange entered the contest at 349th nationally in free-throw percentage and 12-of-29 is not going to cut it. If the Orange take advantage of the opportunities they are given, they very likely win the game.

2) End-of-game scenarios. Syracuse had the ball for the final 20 seconds of regulation and didn't even get a shot off with a chance to win.

What's next

Syracuse will play Kansas on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Related Syracuse Stories

REALLY A LEARNING EXPERIENCE? Can the Orange really learn from Saturday's 70-7 loss against Notre Dame? CLICK HERE:

A BIG PROGRAM: Syracuse basketball coach Adrian Autry says his program is still a big one, despite the lack of recent success. CLICK HERE: 

NEVER FAR AWAY: Jim Boeheim made a call into Syracuse sports talk radio on Tuesday night to offer some advice to the hosts. CLICK HERE:

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