TCU
(1-5)
Syracuse
(6-2)
TCU Falls on the Road to Syracuse, 80-64
12/3/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 3, 2005
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Demetris Nichols and Eric Devendorf combined to make 11 3-pointers and score 43 points, and Syracuse beat TCU 80-64 on Saturday night.
Syracuse (6-2), which staged a stunning rally to beat Manhattan in overtime on Wednesday, didn't need any late-game heroics to beat the Horned Frogs (1-5).
Nichols eclipsed his career high with six 3-pointers before the break, swishing nearly every one and scoring 21 points. He equaled his career high with 24 points and also blocked a career-high four shots.
Devendorf, a freshman guard, was 5-for-8 from long range after making only seven 3s in the first seven games of his career and finished with a season-best 19 points.
Overall, the Orange made 12-of-29 3-pointers, just three off the school record set against West Virginia in 1997. And amazingly, Syracuse's all-time leader, Gerry McNamara, didn't add to his career total of 319. But he did score 11 points and dished out 10 assists for his first double-double of the season.
Nile Murry led TCU with 25 points, Judson Stubbs had 12 points and eight rebounds, and Blake Adams had nine points.
Syracuse began to assume control midway through the first half. After Art Pierce intercepted a bad inbounds pass by Nichols and threw down a dunk to tie the game at 10-10 with 13:24 to go in the first half, Nichols went on a tear.
While McNamara missed all six of his shots in the period, Nichols carried the load, scoring 15 points in less than seven minutes, his long shot from the right wing giving the Orange a 30-16 lead with 5:29 left.
Blake Adams hit a 3 and layup off the glass and Brent Hackett made a pullup jumper in the lane to bring the Horned Frogs within 32-23 with 3:21 to go in the period. Nichols responded by hitting 3-pointers on consecutive trips down the court to boost the Syracuse lead at halftime to 40-25.
When Nichols cooled off in the second half, Devendorf took over. He made a trio of 3-pointers in the first seven minutes and his three-point play gave Syracuse a 56-38 lead with 12:36 left.
