Syracuse spurred by Waiters, Jardine
Syracuse's Dion Waiters (3) reacts during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina State. (Dec. 17, 2011) Credit: AP Photo
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Dion Waiters scored a career-high 22 points and Kris Joseph added 21 yesterday to help No. 1 Syracuse beat North Carolina State, 88-72.
Syracuse was playing for the first time as No. 1 this season, as well as its first game outside New York.
Scoop Jardine had 16 points for the Orange (11-0), including a pair of three-pointers during an 11-2 spurt that gave them some cushion after the Wolfpack cut a 17-point deficit to two.
After a three-pointer by Scott Wood that brought N.C. State (6-4) within 63-61, Waiters started the run by hitting a three-pointer. He also jumped a pass and raced in for a dunk. Then Jardine closed the spurt with a three-pointer that gave Syracuse a 74-63 lead with 6:41 left.
C.J. Williams scored a career-high 25 points for N.C. State. The Wolfpack fell to 5-26 against No. 1 teams, with its last win coming in 2004 against Duke.
The Orange trailed by eight early before Waiters scored 10 points during a 23-0 run that helped Syracuse take a 47-33 halftime lead. But the Wolfpack charged out of halftime with a 13-1 run and twice tied the score.
Syracuse shot 57 percent and hit 11 of 25 three-point tries. N.C. State was even better at 58 percent and shot 7-for-14 on threes, but the Wolfpack committed 19 turnovers that led to 25 points for Syracuse.
