Poll Question: How successful will the Orange ultimately be?
The Syracuse Orange are one win away from tying it's best start in history following a 79-66 win over Villanova on Wednesday night. It was a Philly kid leading the way in Philadelphia, as Dion Waiters scored 20 points, despite a first half scare when he rolled his ankle. Waiters scored 14 of his 20 points in that first frame, but more importantly returned in the second half after limping his way to the locker room at halftime. Waiters also added 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals for the game.
The Syracuse bench scored 47 points, while the Wildcats' bench only managed 25 points. James Southerland joined Waiters in double figures with 15 points, while Baye Keita managed a career high 7 rebounds.
The Orange will try to improve to 19-0 this Saturday at the Dome when they take on Providence, a team that beat # 14 Louisville on Tuesday night.
The following is the Associated Press' game recap.
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Dion Waiters scored 20 points in his home city and No. 1 Syracuse remained undefeated with a 79-66 win over Villanova on Wednesday night.
James Southerland added 15 points for the balanced Orange, who are 18-0 for the second straight season. The Orange (5-0 Big East) used a 20-2 run to dominate the struggling Wildcats.
Villanova (8-9, 1-4) lost for the fourth time in five games and has put its streak of seven straight NCAA tournaments in serious jeopardy. Mouphtaou Yarou had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Wildcats.
Waiters looked sharp in the second half after an awkward landing moments before halftime. He immediately grabbed his ankle and hobbled off the court with help from a team official. He sat on the bench for the first 4 minutes of the second half, stretching with an ankle strap before he returned.
