Syracuse, NY (Sports Network) - Scoop Jardine scored 15 points, C.J. Fair had
13 and No. 2 Syracuse had to overcome a slow start, then hold on to beat South
Florida, 56-48, on Wednesday night.
Kris Joseph added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Orange (28-1, 15-1 Big
East), who trailed 20-7 in the first half but came back to win their eighth
straight since falling to Notre Dame last month.
The Bulls (17-11, 10-5) had a four-game win streak snapped and were officially
eliminated from a chance to win the regular-season conference title. They were
led by Anthony Collins' 12 points and 11 from Toarlyn Fitzpatrick.
South Florida took its 20-7 lead on Collins' floater in the lane, but went
nearly nine minutes without another point in the first half.
Syracuse finished the half on a 17-0 run led by Jardine to take a 24-20 lead
at the break. Jardine hit two threes and scored eight points in the burst and
Dion Waiters capped it with a three-point play.
The Bulls used a 9-1 run, capped by Jawanza Poland's fast-break dunk, to pull
within 36-31 in the second half. Fair played stopper for Syracuse with a one-
handed runner on the left side, but the game remained close.
It took a 5-0 Syracuse spurt to create some distance after South Florida had
pulled within 47-46. Joseph's second-chance bucket in the lane capped it and
he had a tip-in later that made it 54-48 inside three minutes.
GAME NOTES:
Syracuse improved to 18-0 at the Carrier Dome this season...The Orange lead
the all-time series with USF, 9-1, and have won four in a row. They are 6-0
against the Bulls at home...Syracuse has two remaining regular season games:
at Connecticut on Saturday and versus Louisville on March 3. USF has three
games left against Cincinnati, Louisville and West Virginia.
The Sports Network