Kris Joseph scored 16 points leading Syracuse to a one-sided 78-53 win over Fordham at the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse (1-0) won its seventh straight season opener and improved to 31-4 in openers under head coach Jim Boeheim.

Fordham (0-1) has dropped four straight season openers and trails the all-time series versus the Orange 27-16.

Syracuse, which returned four starters from last season’s squad, took advantage of its size on both ends of the floor, breaking the game open with an 18-4 run just before the end of the first half. Joseph headlined a talented SU starting backcourt, which totaled 32 points in the win.

The Orange shot just under 48 percent from the field while its fabled zone defense limited Fordham to 18-of-53 shooting, keeping the Rams locked on the perimeter and forcing 17 turnovers.

Fordham standout Chris Gaston struggled against Syracuse’s towering interior, scoring 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Reserve Bryan Smith chipped in with 13 points.

Turnovers slowed down the Orange in the early going, with Boeheim making constant subs to iron out his player rotation. Syracuse coughed the ball up 10 times in the first half, finishing the game with 14 turnovers.

Backup guard Dion Waiters made the most of the blowout, scoring 14 points off the bench for Syracuse.