TicketsJan. 17, 2007
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Sparked by eight 3-pointers, Marcus Sikes had a career night, but Eric Devendorf made two free throws with 12.6 seconds left to thwart a late Cincinnati rally, giving Syracuse a 77-76 victory over the Bearcats.
Sikes had a career high 24 points by going 8-for-12 on 3-pointers. Freshman Deonta Vaughn, the Bearcats leading scorer, had 13 points but was 2-for-10 on 3-pointers. Marvin Gentry and John Williamson each scored 11 points and Cedric McGowan 10.
Syracuse (15-4, 4-1 Big East) was led by Demetris Nichols, who scored 22 points. Terrence Roberts had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Devendorf had 17 points and eight assists. Darryl Watkins had 10 rebounds and eight blocks.
The Bearcats (9-8, 0-3 Big East) were behind 48-34 at halftime and trailed a double-digit deficit for most of the game until they went on a 10-0 run to make a game of it.
Vaughn hit a 3-pointer at 7:07 to begin the spurt and Jamual Warren ended it with a 3 from the top of the key to move Cincinnati within one, at 68-67, with 4:43 left. UC forced Syracuse to commit two turnovers and miss a pair of 3s during the run.
A 3-pointer by Devendorf gave the Orange a four-point cushion, but on the other end Sikes hit his seventh 3 at 3:53 and another with 69 seconds remaining to give Cincinnati a 75-73 lead, its first of the game, and Gentry's free throw gave Cincinnati a three-point edge with 43 seconds left.
Nichols made two free throws to pull the Orange within a point with 34.2 seconds left, and 11 seconds later Warren missed the front end of a one-and-one, then fouled Devendorf to set up the decisive free throws.
Vaughn was short with a shot at the buzzer.
The Bearcats, whose tallest starter was Sikes at 6-foot-8, struggled to find open shots in close fell into an early hole, 12-4 less than four minutes into the contest.
Andy Rautins converted a long jumper from left wing off a block by Watkins to give Syracuse a 30-11 lead at 8:22, its largest of the game, before the Bearcats finally got untracked, finishing the half hitting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Consecutive 3-pointers by Sikes and Vaughn cut the lead to 13 at 7:21 and two more 3s by Sikes in a 25-second span moved Cincinnati within 43-34 with 57 seconds left in the period.