SYRACUSE - Syracuse forward Matt Gorman smiled as he stated the obvious.
“You're tough to beat when you've got all your guys scoring and contributing,” Gorman said. “That helps out a lot. When we have that going on, our team can roll through anyone.”
The 20th-ranked Orange finished their third victory in three days, beating Texas-El Paso 83-69 on Sunday night as six players scored in double figures to complete a solid weekend in the Black Coaches Association Invitational.
In Saturday's 78-60 win over Penn, Syracuse had two players with 16 points and another two with 12, and in Friday's season-opening win over St. Francis of New York the Orange had five players in double figures.
“I like our balance,” coach Jim Boeheim said after the 729th victory of his career moved him past former Missouri mentor Norm Stewart to 16th on the career Division I list. “This team is playing a whole different way. Everybody's in different roles.”
On this night, sophomore guard Eric Devendorf played much of the game at the point instead of his customary slot as the backcourt shooter and scored a game-high 19 points.
“Our team improved in every game,” said Devendorf, who had 48 points, 13 assists and eight turnovers in the three games to earn tournament most valuable player honors. “We have some things to work on in practice, but I think we're going to be all right.”
Gorman, a fifth-year senior, equaled his career high with 12 points for thesecond straight game and Darryl Watkins finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks in just 21 minutes. Demetris Nichols had 12 points, freshman Paul Harris 11, and Josh Wright 10.
Senior forward Terrence Roberts, who averaged nearly 11 points a game last year and scored 23 points in the first two games, finished with only six points but grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds despite a sore knee that limited him to 22 minutes.
“Terrence was a little off tonight, and everybody else picked him up,” Boeheim said. “This a good win. We gained a lot of experience.”
Despite no points in the first half from Roberts, Syracuse led for most of the period and began to assume control in the final minutes before the break.
The Orange went up 24-19 on a turnaround shot off the glass by Watkins at 8:28. UTEP tied it at 24-all less than two minutes later on Malik Alvin's 3-pointer from the top of the key and two free throws by Darren Clarke.
But with Wright drawing Boeheim's ire and a spot on the bench after three early turnovers, Andy Rautins hit a 3-pointer from right wing just 13 seconds after entering the game to ignite a 14-2 run by the Orange. It was the only basket of the game for the sophomore.
Harris and Devendorf followed with shots off the glass to put Syracuse up 31-24 with 5:05 left before Victor Ramalho replied for the Miners from in close.
Less than a minute later, Watkins headed to the bench with a bloody nose after scoring in the paint and getting fouled by Ramalho. Nichols stepped in to make the free throw and complete a three-point play that gave the Orange a 34-26 lead with 4:35 remaining.
Then it was Gorman's turn. He hit a hook in the lane for a 10-point lead and converted a jumper in the lane to help send the Orange into the locker room with a 42-33 halftime edge.
The Miners (2-1) pulled to 47-40 on a three-point play by Stefon Jackson with 17:13 remaining in the game, but Syracuse scored the next 13 points to put them back on their heels. A putback by Gorman and a free throw by Wright gave Syracuse its largest lead, 60-40, at 12:21.
UTEP rallied one final time in the closing minutes, pulling within 76-67 on a 3 by Alvin with 65 seconds left but was unable to close the gap further.
“I'm proud of my team. We had a chance. We all fought hard and everyone battled,” UTEP coach Tony Barbee said. “They made some tough plays. They came up with loose balls and loose rebounds and we didn't. I thought that was the difference.
The 20th-ranked Orange finished their third victory in three days, beating Texas-El Paso 83-69 on Sunday night as six players scored in double figures to complete a solid weekend in the Black Coaches Association Invitational.
In Saturday's 78-60 win over Penn, Syracuse had two players with 16 points and another two with 12, and in Friday's season-opening win over St. Francis of New York the Orange had five players in double figures.
“I like our balance,” coach Jim Boeheim said after the 729th victory of his career moved him past former Missouri mentor Norm Stewart to 16th on the career Division I list. “This team is playing a whole different way. Everybody's in different roles.”
On this night, sophomore guard Eric Devendorf played much of the game at the point instead of his customary slot as the backcourt shooter and scored a game-high 19 points.
“Our team improved in every game,” said Devendorf, who had 48 points, 13 assists and eight turnovers in the three games to earn tournament most valuable player honors. “We have some things to work on in practice, but I think we're going to be all right.”
Gorman, a fifth-year senior, equaled his career high with 12 points for thesecond straight game and Darryl Watkins finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks in just 21 minutes. Demetris Nichols had 12 points, freshman Paul Harris 11, and Josh Wright 10.
Senior forward Terrence Roberts, who averaged nearly 11 points a game last year and scored 23 points in the first two games, finished with only six points but grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds despite a sore knee that limited him to 22 minutes.
“Terrence was a little off tonight, and everybody else picked him up,” Boeheim said. “This a good win. We gained a lot of experience.”
Despite no points in the first half from Roberts, Syracuse led for most of the period and began to assume control in the final minutes before the break.
The Orange went up 24-19 on a turnaround shot off the glass by Watkins at 8:28. UTEP tied it at 24-all less than two minutes later on Malik Alvin's 3-pointer from the top of the key and two free throws by Darren Clarke.
But with Wright drawing Boeheim's ire and a spot on the bench after three early turnovers, Andy Rautins hit a 3-pointer from right wing just 13 seconds after entering the game to ignite a 14-2 run by the Orange. It was the only basket of the game for the sophomore.
Harris and Devendorf followed with shots off the glass to put Syracuse up 31-24 with 5:05 left before Victor Ramalho replied for the Miners from in close.
Less than a minute later, Watkins headed to the bench with a bloody nose after scoring in the paint and getting fouled by Ramalho. Nichols stepped in to make the free throw and complete a three-point play that gave the Orange a 34-26 lead with 4:35 remaining.
Then it was Gorman's turn. He hit a hook in the lane for a 10-point lead and converted a jumper in the lane to help send the Orange into the locker room with a 42-33 halftime edge.
The Miners (2-1) pulled to 47-40 on a three-point play by Stefon Jackson with 17:13 remaining in the game, but Syracuse scored the next 13 points to put them back on their heels. A putback by Gorman and a free throw by Wright gave Syracuse its largest lead, 60-40, at 12:21.
UTEP rallied one final time in the closing minutes, pulling within 76-67 on a 3 by Alvin with 65 seconds left but was unable to close the gap further.
“I'm proud of my team. We had a chance. We all fought hard and everyone battled,” UTEP coach Tony Barbee said. “They made some tough plays. They came up with loose balls and loose rebounds and we didn't. I thought that was the difference.
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