No. 1 Syracuse Knocks Off Villanova, 79-66

Wednesday, January 11

Philadelphia, PA

7:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Villanova

Dion Waiters had a game-high 20 points

1/11/2012 8:00:25 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score | Season Stats

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – No. 1 Syracuse held Villanova to 32 percent from the field (20-of-61) and Dion Waiters had 20 points to help the Orange (18-0, 5-0) defeat Villanova (8-9, 1-4) on Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Syracuse is now 18-0 for the second-consecutive season, and is one win shy of tying its best start in school history of 19-0, set during the 1999-00 campaign.

Waiters scored 14 of his 20 points in the first half, while adding five rebounds, two assists and three steals for the game. James Southerland joined Waiters in double-figures with 13 points.Baye Keita had a season-high seven rebounds to lead the Orange, while #C.J. Fair#, Fab Melo and Brandon Triche also had five boards.

After three ties and six lead changes to open the contest, the Orange broke the game open with a 20-2 run over a seven minute span. With the two sides knotted at 14 apiece, Southerland sparked the run with an elbow jumper to give Syracuse the lead which it kept for the remainder of the game.

Seven different SU players scored during the run, while all 10 players who checked in during the first half found the scoring column.

Villanova's ninth turnover of the first half with 1.3 seconds remaining allowed SU one last possession, in which Scoop Jardine banked in a half court three-pointer, giving the Orange its largest lead of the half at 43-24.

Syracuse held the Wildcats to 27 percent shooting in the opening frame (7-of-26), including a stretch in which Villanova was just 2-of-15. The Syracuse bench outscored the entire Wildcat team in the first half, 25-24.

After Syracuse stretched its lead to 22 (48-26) to open the second half, Villanova clawed its way back into the game with a 15-4 spurt of its own and cut SU's lead to 11 at 52-41 with 11:59 remaining.

However, the Orange responded with a 10-0 run, highlighted by a fast break slam dunk by Waiters, and stretched the SU lead back to 20 with 7:43 remaining; putting the game out of reach.

The Syracuse bench outscored Villanova's bench by a mark of 47-25 for the game and SU owned a 38-26 advantage of points in the paint.

Maalik Wayns, Villanova's leading scorer at 17.4 points per game, was held to just three points tonight. Dominic Cheek, JayVaughn Pinkston and Mouphtaou Yarou each had a team-high 12 points for the Wildcats.

SU's 20-2 run in the middle of the first half was just one of many long runs that Syracuse has gone on this season to help SU gain control of the game. Other notable runs this season include; 18-5 vs. Stanford, 23-0 at N.C. State, 19-0 against Tulane, 15-2 at DePaul and 19-0 against Marquette.

Syracuse tries to match its best start in school history this Saturday when the top-ranked Orange hosts Providence at 6:00 p.m. inside the Carrier Dome. Saturday's game will be a rematch of a contest on Jan. 4 in Providence as SU was victorious 87-73. Fans can buy tickets online, at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B) or by calling 1-888-DOMETIX.