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RECAP
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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.
|  | | 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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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Colgate Clubhouse
Syracuse Clubhouse
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