SU Beats 'Nova, 75-64; Nichols Joins 1,000-Point Club

Saturday, January 13

Carrier Dome

1:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Villanova

Demetris Nichols surpassed the 1,000 career point-mark with his first field goal of the game.

SU Beats 'Nova, 75-64; Nichols Joins 1,000-Point Club

1/13/2007 3:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score
Images from the Ceremony Retiring Rony Seikaly's Jersey

Coach Boeheim Quotes

SU Player Quotes

Villanova Coach Jay Wright Quotes

Rony Seikaly Press Conference

Syracuse, N.Y.-On an afternoon when the Carrier Dome was full of Syracuse basketball legends, Demetris Nichols put on another outstanding performance and joined one of the most prestigious clubs in the Orange annals. Nichols scored a team-high 23 points and became the 48th player to score 1,000 career points at Syracuse and the Orange (14-4, 3-1) beat the Villanova Wildcats (11-5, 1-3), 75-64, in front of 26,874 fans at the Carrier Dome, the largest on-campus crowd in college basketball this season.

Nichols scored 18 points in the first half and eventually came within one three-pointer of his career-high mark with five. He was 8-of-12 from the field and 5-of-6 from long distance. Terrence Roberts recorded his second double-double of the season with a season-high 17 points and 14 rebounds, which tied his career-high. Nichols and Roberts combined to score 29 of Syracuse's 38 first half points. Eric Devendorf had seven assists, one short of his career-high. Darryl Watkins and Andy Rautins each chipped in 11 points. Watkins also had three blocks, giving him 207 in his career and moving him past Craig Forth for seventh on Syracuse's all-time list.

Curtis Sumpter had four points and four rebounds to help Villanova stake claim to a 9-6 lead in the first four minutes of the game. Nichols hit a three-pointer from the right elbow to surpass the 1,000-point mark and cut Villanova lead down to one, 12-11. Sumpter continued to be the catalyst of the Villanova offense, scoring seven points in less than a minute to extend the lead to 19-11 at the 13:33 mark.

Roberts scored five points during a six point spurt for the Orange to pull back within a basket. Villanova missed four-consecutive field goals and turned the ball over twice during that stretch. Mike Nardi hit a long jumper to snap the scoreless drought and extend the Wildcats' lead to four points, but then Nichols took over. He connected on five-consecutive shots, including three from beyond the arc, to provide all of the scoring during a 15-4 Syracuse run. With 3:56 left in the first half, the Orange had its largest lead of the game, 32-25.

The Wildcats went on a 9-2 run to tie the game at 34-34 with a minute to go in the opening period. Watkins made a free throw to take back the lead for Syracuse and then Rautins took a pass from Devendorf on the fastbreak and nailed an open three-pointer to extend the Orange lead, 38-34, at the half.

Syracuse started the second half on a 14-2 run in the first four minutes and its lead swelled to double-digits for the first time, 52-36. Nichols and Rautins both contributed three-pointers and Roberts put the exclamation point on the run when he followed a missed three with a thunderous two-handed dunk.

Villanova clawed back into the game with a 9-2 run that cut the Syracuse lead to single-digits, 54-45. Syracuse turned the ball over on four of its five possessions during the run. Off an inbounds play, Devendorf threw a pass behind him along the baseline to Josh Wright, who canned a three-pointer from the corner. That started a 9-4 Syracuse run over the next four minutes and with 6:23 remaining in the game, Syracuse was up 63-49. The Orange maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way, leading by as many as 17 points twice.

Sumpter finished with a double-double for the Wildcats with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Nardi added 17 points and four assists. Villanova struggled from the field, shooting under 40 percent in each half and finishing the game just 22-of-61.

Before the game, more than 20 former Syracuse basketball players were recognized as a part of Alumni Day. The 1966 team, which featured Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim and Orange legend Dave Bing, received a special honor to commemorate its 40th anniversary. At halftime, Rony Seikaly became the seventh Syracuse player to have his jersey retired and hung in the rafters of the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse hosts Cincinnati (9-6, 0-1) Wednesday at 7 p.m.