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  Tuesday, Nov. 28 7:30pm ET
Syracuse holds on after 14-0 start
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) -- Fresh from its impressive victory in the Great Alaska Shootout, Syracuse (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today, No. 20 AP) didn't display any jet lag Tuesday night against Colgate. Until the end of the game, that is.

Leading 71-45 with 7:02 to play, the No. 20 Orangemen (5-0) allowed the overmatched Red Raiders (1-3) to score 20 of the final 22 points in a 73-65 decision.

Damone Brown
Syracuse's Damone Brown takes a direct route to the basket in the Orangemen's 73-65 win over Colgate.

It was Colgate's 35th straight setback in the 98-year-old series, and yet it still rankled Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim.

"If we don't play well, it doesn't matter who we're playing," Boeheim said. "That team is going to beat us or come close."

Preston Shumpert and DeShaun Williams helped keep the Orangemen unbeaten with 21 points apiece.

Led by Shumpert, Syracuse scored the first 14 points, allowing Boeheim to go to his bench early. That allowed James Thues, Kueth Duany and Jeremy McNeil to get a lot of playing time, but just how valuable it was was debatable.

"We wanted to play some guys that didn't play in Alaska, and they got in and just completely busted our offensive rhythm and we never got it back," Boeheim said. "That's the danger of trying to get guys some playing time, and I think it spilled over on the defensive end, too."

Trailing 44-24 to start the second half, the stubborn Red Raiders refused to go away and the Syracuse defense broke down, allowing uncontested shots at every turn.

Martin Marek of the Czech Republic, who led Colgate with a career-high 17 points, scored eight points and Pat Campolieta added four to lead the Red Raiders on a 15-6 surge. Marek's turnaround jumper in the lane with 13:49 left moved Colgate within 50-41.

"We just tried to preach to the kids, one possession at a time," Colgate coach Emmett Davis said. "Play good defense, allow one shot, rebound. We ended up almost even in rebounding."

But after their surge, the Red Raiders went cold and Williams took control, scoring 11 points in a span of 3:30 to give the Orangemen a 69-45 lead with 7:15 to play.

Disheartened but not yet defeated, Colgate rallied one last time.

"It was nice to be able to respond to that lead and make the game competitive," said Campolieta, who scored 16 points and had nine rebounds for the Red Raiders. "They shot the ball real well in the first half and we didn't."

Syracuse threatened to put the game away in the first nine minutes behind the sharp shooting of Shumpert. He hit his first five shots from the field, including a trio of 3-pointers, scoring 15 points.

The smaller Red Raiders did not score on their first eight possessions, missing six shots. After Shumpert's second 3 put Syracuse up 14-0, Tim Sullivan hit two free throws to finally get Colgate on the scoreboard with 13:54 to play in the period.

"I just go into every game and try to move without the ball and I know my teammates will find me," said Shumpert, who averaged 26 points in three games in Alaska to win tournament MVP honors. "This team, we explode early offensively. We blew them out early and we sort of coasted and laid back. They were aggressive and felt like they could win the game."
 


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