SYRACUSE - Jonny Flynn had 24 points, Paul Harris added 21 points and nine rebounds, and No. 16 Syracuse rallied to beat Cornell 88-78 on Wednesday night.
Cornell (4-4), playing its fifth straight road game, hasn't beaten Syracuse in 40 years, suffering 31 straight losses, but the Big Red staged a game fight behind a career-high 33 points from Ryan Wittman.
Syracuse (8-0) has displayed a penchant for poor play at the start of nearly every game, having rallied twice from 13 points down to win, and this night was no exception.
The Orange trailed the entire first half, once by 16, and center Arinze Onuaku didn't take a shot after averaging 13 points a game coming in.
Onuaku converted a three-point play to start the second half and move the Orange within 40-38.
After Andy Rautins swished a 3 from right wing to tie it at 53-all, Harris scored eight points in a 12-0 Syracuse run. Rautins finished the spurt with two free throws, giving Syracuse a 67-57 lead with 8:33 left.
The Big Red, who were 13-of-29 on 3-pointers, didn't buckle.
Consecutive 3-pointers by Wittman, his eighth and ninthof the game, brought them within 70-65 less than 2 minutes later. But they never got closer as Syracuse shot 75 percent (18-for-24) in the half, outscored Cornell 27-5 at the free-throw line for the game, and had 15 steals.
Wittman took 28 shots and finished 9-of-19 on 3-pointers, one off the Carrier Dome record of 10 3-pointers set by Charlotte's Brendan Plavich in November 2003. Geoff Reeves added 15 points and Jeff Foote had 10 points and seven rebounds for the Big Red, who outrebounded the Orange 36-32, including 16-8 on the offensive glass.
Eric Devendorf had 15 points, Onuaku finished with 12 and Rautins had 11 for the Orange.
The Big Red, fourth in the nation a year ago in 3-point shooting, created open looks with their slick ball movement, hit 5-of-8 from long range in the first 12 minutes of the game and led 25-9 when Wittman hit a 3 at 11:57.
Wittman, who was 2-of-14 for six points a year ago in an 80-64 loss to Syracuse, swished a 3 from the top of the key to start the game, made three more 3s and had 16 points at the break.
After Alex Tyler's hook off the glass put Cornell up 31-16, Harris and Flynn keyed a 13-2 Orange run. Flynn started it with a 3 from the left side and followed with a three-point play, and Harris scored the next six as the Orange closed to 33-29 with 5:25 left.
A 3 by Wittman and a tip by Foote boosted the Cornell lead to 40-30 with 2:36 left. But the Big Red got into foul trouble - Reeves picked up his third and Adam Wire his fourth in the final minute - and Syracuse made 5-of-6 free throws to go into the locker room trailing just 40-35.
Cornell, the defending Ivy League champion, was expected to have another solid season after last year's team went 22-6 and 14-0 in the league to earn a berth in the NCAA tournament.
Coach Steve Donahue had four starters returning, but his all-Ivy backcourt of Adam Gore and Louis Dale was injured in September and the Big Red have struggled.
Gore tore a knee ligament and had surgery, and Gale pulled a hamstring and reinjured it in practice.
Neither has played a game this season, though Dale is day-to-day and Gore is hoping to return in January. They combined for 27 points against Syracuse a year ago.
Orange 88
Big Red 78
Syracuse (8-0) has displayed a penchant for poor play at the start of nearly every game, having rallied twice from 13 points down to win, and this night was no exception.
The Orange trailed the entire first half, once by 16, and center Arinze Onuaku didn't take a shot after averaging 13 points a game coming in.
Onuaku converted a three-point play to start the second half and move the Orange within 40-38.
After Andy Rautins swished a 3 from right wing to tie it at 53-all, Harris scored eight points in a 12-0 Syracuse run. Rautins finished the spurt with two free throws, giving Syracuse a 67-57 lead with 8:33 left.
The Big Red, who were 13-of-29 on 3-pointers, didn't buckle.
Consecutive 3-pointers by Wittman, his eighth and ninthof the game, brought them within 70-65 less than 2 minutes later. But they never got closer as Syracuse shot 75 percent (18-for-24) in the half, outscored Cornell 27-5 at the free-throw line for the game, and had 15 steals.
Wittman took 28 shots and finished 9-of-19 on 3-pointers, one off the Carrier Dome record of 10 3-pointers set by Charlotte's Brendan Plavich in November 2003. Geoff Reeves added 15 points and Jeff Foote had 10 points and seven rebounds for the Big Red, who outrebounded the Orange 36-32, including 16-8 on the offensive glass.
Eric Devendorf had 15 points, Onuaku finished with 12 and Rautins had 11 for the Orange.
The Big Red, fourth in the nation a year ago in 3-point shooting, created open looks with their slick ball movement, hit 5-of-8 from long range in the first 12 minutes of the game and led 25-9 when Wittman hit a 3 at 11:57.
Wittman, who was 2-of-14 for six points a year ago in an 80-64 loss to Syracuse, swished a 3 from the top of the key to start the game, made three more 3s and had 16 points at the break.
After Alex Tyler's hook off the glass put Cornell up 31-16, Harris and Flynn keyed a 13-2 Orange run. Flynn started it with a 3 from the left side and followed with a three-point play, and Harris scored the next six as the Orange closed to 33-29 with 5:25 left.
A 3 by Wittman and a tip by Foote boosted the Cornell lead to 40-30 with 2:36 left. But the Big Red got into foul trouble - Reeves picked up his third and Adam Wire his fourth in the final minute - and Syracuse made 5-of-6 free throws to go into the locker room trailing just 40-35.
Cornell, the defending Ivy League champion, was expected to have another solid season after last year's team went 22-6 and 14-0 in the league to earn a berth in the NCAA tournament.
Coach Steve Donahue had four starters returning, but his all-Ivy backcourt of Adam Gore and Louis Dale was injured in September and the Big Red have struggled.
Gore tore a knee ligament and had surgery, and Gale pulled a hamstring and reinjured it in practice.
Neither has played a game this season, though Dale is day-to-day and Gore is hoping to return in January. They combined for 27 points against Syracuse a year ago.
Orange 88
Big Red 78
