The No. 1 Syracuse men’s basketball team (17-0, 4-0 Big East) kept its unbeaten streak alive after defeating the No. 20 Marquette Golden Eagles (12-4, 1-2 Big East) 73-66 Saturday at the Carrier Dome.
Senior forward Kris Joseph led the charge for the Orange, scoring 17 points, dishing out four assists and grabbing four boards. Junior guard Brandon Triche scored 16 points after shooting 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. Sophomore guard Dion Waiters and sophomore forward C.J. Fair also contributed by scoring 12 points and 13 points respectively. Waiters also had a game-high seven assists and sophomore center Fab Melo tied Waiters with a game-high eight boards.
Syracuse came out of the gates firing in the first half. The Orange went into halftime leading 37-19 after a 23-5 run to conclude the half. The run started with less than twelve minutes to go when Fair nailed a jumper. Syracuse capitalized on 15 points off turnovers in the half and scored 12 fast break points in the opening frame.
Marquette, however, made it a point not to get blown out by its conference rival, as the Golden Eagles nearly erased the 18-point deficit they faced at halftime. The Golden Eagles outscored the Orange 47-36 in the second half and got within three points of tying the Orange with nine minutes to go. Syracuse, however, was able to hold off Marquette long enough to keep its record unblemished.
Syracuse was able to win the battle on the boards, after outrebounding Marquette 40-34. The Orange offense shot 39 percent from the floor, 10 points below its average shooting percentage. Syracuse did, however, record 19 assists and ranks 13th in the nation after averaging 17 assists per game.
Syracuse’s 2-3 zone also forced Marquette into 16 turnovers and forced the Golden Eagles into a 23.1 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
Syracuse will try to extend its winning streak Wednesday when it faces the Villanova Wildcats at Philadelphia, Penn.
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