Sports

College basketball

Orange's big rally helps it to escape

Associated Press
Published January 25, 2005

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PISCATAWAY, N.J. - No.4 Syracuse rallied from an 18-point deficit then watched Rutgers' final shot roll around and out at the buzzer for an 86-84 win Monday.

"It was a great finish ... one of the best I have been a part of," coach Jim Boeheim said.

Boeheim has 20 wins for the 27th time. That ties him for second with Bob Knight, three behind ex-North Carolina coach Dean Smith.

Rutgers led 54-36 after closing the first half with a 21-3 run. But the coach didn't get on his team. The players got on themselves.

"Great teams are going to have accept criticism, and we all dished it out to each other," guard Gerry McNamara said. "If you can still love each other and care about each other after you just screamed in each other's face, that's what's going to make a great team."

Syracuse went to a fullcourt press and forced turnovers on Rutgers' first three possessions to open the second half with a 9-0 run. It reduced the deficit to 58-53 within 21/2 minutes, and its 11-0 run, capped by McNamara's fifth 3-pointer, made it 80-74 with 5:56 left.

But Rutgers took the lead twice more, the last 84-83 on two free throws by Dan Waterstradt with 27 seconds left. The freshman had been 0-for-2 from the line for the season.

Josh Pace missed a shot in the lane with 10 seconds left for Syracuse, but Terrence Roberts put in the rebound, was fouled and made the free throw with 7.2 seconds left.

Rutgers took a timeout, and its final play was a 3-pointer for Quincy Douby. He made only 3 of 10 3-pointers, missing three during the final two minutes.

"I shot it a little quick, and I thought it was still going down," Douby said. "I had my follow through. It just wasn't enough."

NO.13 OKLA. 67, NO.9 OKLA. ST. 57: Kevin Bookout scored 23 and Taj Gray 22 for the host Sooners. Oklahoma took a 19-2 lead, with Bookout and Gray combining for all of its points.

After the Cowboys pulled within 33-27, Bookout scored six during a 10-0 run. During the run, Drew Lavender came down on a fastbreak and bounced the ball between his legs to Gray, who dunked it.

Down 51-31, Joey Graham of Brandon scored in the lane to start a 13-4 run for Oklahoma State. But Bookout converted a three-point play and Jaison Williams made a 3-pointer to make it 61-44 with less than four minutes left.

NO.25 UTAH 63, AIR FORCE 51: Andrew Bogut scored 25 on 11-of-12 shooting for the host Utes in a matchup of unbeatens in Mountain West play. Utah, which has won 12 in a row since losing 67-62 at Arizona on Dec.11, shot a school-record 80 percent, making 24 of 30 shots.

Bogut, 6 feet 10, scored seven during a 14-2 run at the start of the second half that gave Utah a 46-32 lead. The Falcons, who started only one player taller than 6-6, did not get withing single digits from there.

NO. 20 PITT: Reserve forward Dante Milligan will transfer. The redshirt freshman played in five games, none since Dec.18.

MICHIGAN: Point guard Daniel Horton was arraigned on a charge of domestic violence for allegedly choking his girlfriend last month. He was released on $5,000 bond and will be allowed to leave the state for games.

State

B-CC 83, N. CAROLINA A&T 78 (2OT): Antonio Webb scored a career-high 35 and all 11 of the host Wildcats' points in the second overtime. Down 36-20 at halftime, the Aggies sent it to overtime tied at 63 on Greg Roberts' 3-pointer with 16.7 seconds left. Webb, who made 7 of 9 3-pointers, sent it to double overtime tied at 72 with two free throws. FAMU 67, S. CAROLINA ST. 60: Tony Tate scored 19, nine during the final two minutes, for the host Rattlers. Tate's 3-pointer with 1:19 left gave FAMU a 62-60 lead, and he sealed it with four free throws. NEW MEXICO ST. 71, FIU 66: Mike Mitchell scored 23 for the visiting Aggies, who made 26 of 52 shots. ECKERD: Steve Berg was named co-Sunshine State Conference player of the week with Barry's Nick Ellingsworth Perez. The junior guard from Ocala scored 24 in Saturday's 77-62 win over Florida Southern and has at least 20 in five of his past six. TAMPA: The time for Saturday's game against Lynn was changed to 7:30 to accommodate Gasparilla festivities. The women start at 5:30.

[Last modified January 25, 2005, 01:20:40]