No. 2 Syracuse tops USF for 8th straight win

Syracuse, NY – Scoop Jardine scored 15 points, C.J. Fair had 48, on Wednesday night.

Kris Joseph added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Orange (28-1, 15-1 Big East), who trailed 20-7 in the first half but came back to win their eighth straight since falling to Notre Dame last month.

The Bulls (17-11, 10-5) had a four-game win streak snapped and were officially eliminated from a chance to win the regular-season conference title. They were led by Anthony Collins' 12 points and 11 from Toarlyn Fitzpatrick.

South Florida took its 20-7 lead on Collins' floater in the lane, but went nearly nine minutes without another point in the first half.

Syracuse finished the half on a 17-0 run led by Jardine to take a 24-20 lead at the break. Jardine hit two threes and scored eight points in the burst and Dion Waiters capped it with a three-point play.

The Bulls used a 9-1 run, capped by Jawanza Poland's fast-break dunk, to pull within 36-31 in the second half. Fair played stopper for Syracuse with a one- handed runner on the left side, but the game remained close.

It took a 5-0 Syracuse spurt to create some distance after South Florida had pulled within 47-46. Joseph's second-chance bucket in the lane capped it and he had a tip-in later that made it 54-48 inside three minutes.

Game Notes

Syracuse improved to 18-0 at the Carrier Dome this season...The Orange lead the all-time series with USF, 9-1, and have won four in a row. They are 6-0 against the Bulls at home...Syracuse has two remaining regular season games: at Connecticut on Saturday and versus Louisville on March 3. USF has three games left against Cincinnati, Louisville and West Virginia.