Warrick's Career-High 32 Points Pace #8/7 Orange to 90-75 Victory

Saturday, February 12

Philadelphia, PA

12:00 p.m. (Time Warner)

Syracuse University

Villanova

Philadelphia native Hakim Warrick netted a career-high 32 points in his homecoming.

Warrick's Career-High 32 Points Pace #8/7 Orange to 90-75 Victory

2/12/2005 1:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Senior Hakim Warrick enjoyed his homecoming, leading the #8/7 Syracuse Orange (22-3, 9-2) to a 90-75 win against #22/25 Villanova (14-6, 5-5) in the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia native scored a career-high 32 points, hitting 10-of-14 from the field and 12-of-16 from the free throw line, and grabbed 12 rebounds.

SU's five starters scored 85 of the Orange's 90 points in SU head coach Jim Boeheim's 698^th career victory. It was the third time this season that the Orange has scored 90 points in a game. The victory is SU's third against a ranked team this season. The Orange beat #12 Mississippi State and #24 Memphis in November in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.

Warrick moved into the ninth spot on SU's all-time scoring list, increasing his career mark to 1,862 points. He passed Billy Owens (1,840 points) and Erich Santifer (1,845). Rafael Addison is eighth on the list with 1,876 points.

Senior Josh Pace scored 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, and grabbed seven rebounds, while junior guard Gerry McNamara contributed 18 points and seven assists. McNamara is two shy of becoming the 11^th SU player to have 400 career assists.

Junior Billy Edelin, who made his first start of the season, scored six points, had four assists and grabbed three rebounds.

Syracuse shot 63.6 percent from the field, its second-best field goal mark this season. SU hit 64.2 percent (43-of-67) in the season-opener against Northern Colorado. The Orange outscored Villanova 54-38 in the paint, and scored 26 second-chance points on 18 offensive rebounds. SU beat Villanova on the boards, 44-36.

In the first half, SU used a five-minute, 17-4 run to open a 13-point lead, 37-24, with just less than five minutes remaining. McNamara had seven points and Pace had four during the Orange run. Edelin's driving layup gave the Orange its largest lead of the first period, 41-25, with 2:10 left in the first half.

In the second half, Warrick scored seven points in a 9-2 two-minute run, that gave SU (22-3 overall, 9-2 BIG EAST) its largest lead of the game, 69-45, with 7:55 left in the game. Villanova (14-6, 5-5) entered the game having won five of its previous six games.

Syracuse will host #18/15 Pittsburgh on Monday, February 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.