Kris Joseph hit a pair of 3s that sparked Syracuse’s decisive second-half run yesterday, and the Orange kept the best start in school history going with a 71-54 victory over host Cincinnati, their 10th in a row.
Syracuse (23-1, 10-1 Big East) closed the game with a 28-5 run that featured Joseph’s two 3-pointers and a lot of good defense. Andy Rautins led the Orange with 20 points.
“It comes down to the last 10 minutes,” said Joseph, who finished with 17 points. “The last 10 minutes is crunch time. For us, it’s just playing great defense. We’ve seen everything. When we get on a run and get ahead, there’s not a lot of teams that can come back.”
The Bearcats (14-9, 5-6) fell apart down the stretch, getting only one field goal and three free throws after pulling ahead 49-43 with 12:26 to go. Ibrahima Thomas led Cincinnati with a season-high 13 points.
Wes Johnson, who fell hard in Syracuse’s win over Providence on Tuesday, was back in the starting lineup but played only 23 minutes. The forward took only three shots and had five points.
Ohio St. 68, Iowa 58
In Columbus, Ohio, Evan Turner matched his career high with 32 points, helping the No. 13 Buckeyes stretch their Big Ten winning streak to seven. Jon Diebler added 12 points for Ohio State (18-6, 8-3).
Iona 56, Marist 51
In Poughkeepsie, Scott Machado scored 17 points as Iona pulled away late to win for the ninth time in 10 games. Rashon Dwight added 12 points and the Gaels (18-7, 10-4 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) held Marist to one field goal in the final 3:49. Marist fell to 1-23 on the season.
St. Peter’s 73, Can. 72 (OT)
In Jersey City, Wesley Jenkins had 25 points and 10 rebounds as Saint Peter’s beat Canisius in overtime. Jenkins also hit a free throw to give the Peacocks (14-10, 9-5 MAAC) a 73-70 lead with 11 seconds left in OT and help them win for the second time in three games.
Army 63, Colgate 49
In West Point, Cleveland Richard scored 17 points to lead Army (13-9, 3-5 Patriot), which broke a three-game losing streak and gained a split in the season series with Colgate.
Maryland 92, N. Carolina 71
In College Park, Md., Greivis Vasquez had 26 points and 11 assists, and Maryland solidified its hold on second place in the ACC with a victory over skidding North Carolina (13-10, 2-6 ACC), which was saddled with its sixth loss in seven games.
WOMEN
UConn 84, L’ville 38
In Louisville, Tina Charles had 20 points and nine rebounds as No. 1 Connecticut breezed by Louisville in a rematch of last year’s national championship game. The victory was UConn’s 62nd in a row, extending the second-longest streak ever in women’s NCAA Division I basketball.
St. John’s 66, Seton Hall 45
In South Orange, Kelly McManmon and Centhya Hart each scored 11 points to lead No. 25 St. John’s over Seton Hall. St. John’s (19-4, 7-3 Big East) had five players in double figures.
