Syracuse-Villanova: Wildcats Maul Orange

The next time Jonny Flynn talks about delivering payback to an opponent on the road, Jim Boeheim should make his star point guard run the Carrier Dome steps. And after witnessing the effort Syracuse put forth on Saturday, perhaps Boeheim should make his entire team run steps.

The No. 17 Villanova Wildcats dismantled the No. 20 Syracuse Orange 102-85 in a battle of middle of the pack Big East teams. The victory was the fifth straight for Villanova, who improved to 19-4 on the year and 7-3 in conference play.

Dante Cunningham led the way for the Wildcats with 31 points and 10 rebounds. The senior wasn’t the only Villanova player to stuff the stat sheet though.

Shane Clark (14 points, 10 rebounds) also recorded a double-double while Scottie Reynolds, Corey Stokes, and Corey Fisher all scored in double figures.

This game wasn’t close as Villanova jumped all over Syracuse from the opening tip. Villanova jumped out to a quick 12-2 lead as Syracuse struggled mightily on the offensive end.

The Orange didn’t score a basket for nearly 10 minutes in the first half as Villanova assumed control of the game. An assortment of turnovers (13 in the half), defensive pressure from the Wildcats, and some ice-cold outside shooting helped Syracuse dig a hole they would never get out of.

The Wildcats raced out to a 20-point first half lead and given the lack of intensity and defensive focus on the part of the Orange, the game was all but over.

When Syracuse wasn’t getting back on defense, which led to an array of fast-break layups for Villanova, the Wildcats picked apart the vaunted Syracuse 2-3 zone with an assortment of crisp passes, mid-range jump shots, and dribble penetration.

Cunningham finished the first half with 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting.

Villanova converted the 13-first half Syracuse turnovers into 21 points and took a 53-38 lead to the locker room.

The Orange did get their offense going in the second half as they put up 47 points but they could never get close enough to the Wildcats to make a game out of it. Syracuse managed to cut the lead to 10 but Villanova answered with five straight to regain control.

Syracuse finished the game making only 38 percent (24-of-63) of their field goals.

Jonny Flynn led the way for the Orange with 22 points and eight assists. His back court mate Eric Devendorf tossed in 21 points of his own but committed a game-high seven turnovers.

Paul Harris, Andy Rautins, and Rick Jackson also scored in double figures for Syracuse.

Syracuse has now lost five of their last seven games and find themselves dropping in the Big East standings.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Orange as they face No. 1 UConn on the road this Wednesday. They return to New York for a Valentine’s Day rematch on Saturday with arch-rival Georgetown.

While the Hoyas have gone into free-fall mode having lost six of their last seven, they still spanked Syracuse by 18 back in January.

The Orange close out their current 10-game gauntlet when these same Villanova Wildcats pay a visit to the Carrier Dome on Feb. 22.

If Syracuse wants to salvage their season and ensure a return to the NCAA tournament after a two-year absence, they need to start beating the top teams in the league. And what better way to start than by beating the No. 1 team in the country on the road.

But unless they cut down on turnovers—a season long problem—and play with defensive intensity, there’s no reason to expect anything but more of the same.

And maybe a few more trips up and down the Carrier Dome steps.