| Stanford Can't Hang On as Syracuse Takes NIT Title | ||||
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With No. 4 Connecticut losing e Behind three three-pointers and 13 points from pint-sized point guard Aaron Bright, unranked Stanford played the fifth-ranked Orange tight throughout and led 52-45 with 7:28 to play after an emphatic follow dunk by Anthony Brown. Kris Joseph wouldn't let Syracuse fall too far behind though, scoring the next nine points for the Orange and 11 of their next 16, the final two giving the Orange a 61-60 lead they wouldn't relinquish. Just when Syracuse looked lost offensively, going scoreless between the 10:14 and 7:10 marks of the second half, Joseph once again showed that he wants the ball when it matters most for Jim Boeheim's team. The senior finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and five steals to pace the Orange. Scoop Jardine started at point guard for Syracuse but it was Dion Waiters on the court once again in crunch time, making plays to help the Orange survive another tough test against a power-conference team. After Joseph put Syracuse up one, Waiters completed a three-point play to open up a four-point lead. After a Stanford three-pointer cut to the lead to one again, Waiters made a key steal and took it coast to coast to extend the margin to three with 49 seconds left. Syracuse went 3-for-4 from the line in the final 22 seconds to seal their 69-63 victory on a night when they didn't bring their A-game, or even their B-game. The Orange had four players besides Joseph in double figures as Jardine had 14, Brandon Triche had 11 and Waiters and C.J. Fair both chipped in 10 off the bench. Fab Melo dominated the glass with 10 rebounds and continued his strong defensive contributions with four blocks and two steals. Chasson Randle added 12 and reserve John Gage had 10 for Stanford, who doomed themselves with 25 turnovers against Syracuse's vaunted 2-3 zone. The Orange have been lauded for their depth early in the season but with Baye Moussa Keita in foul trouble for most of the game, Boeheim went with a seven-man rotation after using just eight players for more than 10 minutes against Virginia Tech. Look for freshmen Rakeem Christmas and Michael Carter-Williams to continue to get minutes early in games but if they don't show signs of life on either end, Boeheim won't hesitate to keep them on the bench for the rest of the night. Syracuse will put their 6-0 record on the line Tuesday night at home against Eastern Michigan before what should be their biggest test of the season to date on Friday when they host No. 9 Florida. Stanford plays host to Pacific in their next game on Monday night. (Image courtesy of sacbee.com) Share this post
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arly today in the Bahamas, Syracuse had a golden opportunity to move up a spot in the national rankings at the expense of their Big East rival. For 37 minutes, the Stanford Cardinal had different ideas.
