Syracuse University
Michigan State
Orange Beats Michigan State To Advance To Preseason NIT Finals
12/14/2001 4:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK, NY -- Junior guard Kueth Duany tallied a career-high 24 points to help #21/18 Syracuse defeat #15/11 Michigan State in one Preseason NIT semifinal, 69-58.
With SU clinging to a 22-21 advantage in the first half, senior forward Preston Shumpert helped his club to a 12-5 run to close out the opening period by talling six points in a two-minute span. Shumpert, Duany and junior guard DeShaun Williams combined for 28 of Syracuse's first-half points and the Orange headed into the intermission with a 34-26 advantage.
The SU lead reached 13 points early in the second half as Duany opened with a running jumper and a three-pointer following one of his five steals. Two free throws from Shumpert gave the Orange a 50-38 edge with 12:53 remaining. The Spartans rallied with a 18-6 spurt keyed by five points from guard Marcus Taylor.
The Orangemen held firm and finished the game's final four-and-a-half minutes with a 13-2 run that was sparked by seven SU steals, including three from sophomore guard James Thues and two from freshman center Craig Forth.
In addition to Duany's 24 points, Williams finished with 23 and Shumpert had 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
The game marked the 25th consecutive season that Syracuse has played in Madison Square Garden. The streak covers the tenure of Coach Jim Boeheim except for his first season at the SU helm.
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