Watkins Records Double-Double in Orange Victory

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Sophomore Darryl Watkins had career-highs with 13 rebounds and 14 points for his first career double-double and Player of the Year candidate Hakim Warrick had a game-high 21 points to lead #8/8 Syracuse (9-1) to a 74-54 victory against Drexel (3-4) on Saturday night in the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse scored the first four points of the game but Drexel stayed right with the Orange, tying the score at eight at the 16:05 mark in the first half. SU would take an eight-point lead after a 14-8 run during the following six minutes, with five points from Warrick and four from both Watkins and senior Josh Pace. Drexel chipped into the SU lead to close to within one, 22-21 with 7:43 remaining in the stanza, and that was the closest the Dragons came the rest of the night. The Orange finished the first half with a 10-1 run, including six by Warrick, for a 40-26 lead at intermission. Syracuse shot .643 (18-of-28) in the first 20 minutes.

Drexel opened the second half with an 11-4 run narrowing the margin to just seven with 14:42 still to play. Junior Gerry McNamara scored his first basket of the night at the 13:34 mark in the second half and had his second three-pointer of the game in the closing seconds for the Orange's largest lead of the night.

Watkins had 13 boards, 14 points and three blocks in a career-high 33 minutes of work. Warrick finished the game with 21 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Pace scored 14 points and had seven boards, while McNamara finished with six points and four assists.

SU outrebounded Drexel 44-17, limiting the Dragons to the fewest rebounds for an opponent since the 1982-83 season when Syracuse held Princeton to only 15 rebounds.

Syracuse improved to 6-0 in the Dome this season. The Orange has won 37 of its last 40 on its home court.

Drexel was led by Chaz Crawford with 15 points, while Phil Goss scored 11 and Jeremiah King added 10 for the Dragons.

The Orange plays again on Monday night, December 20, at 7:00 p.m. when SU hosts Cornell.