New York, NY (Sports Network) - Scoop Jardine scored 22 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out six assists and added four steals, as Syracuse dominated from the start in an emphatic 95-73 rout of 13th-ranked California in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.
Orange Crush: Syracuse Dominates No. 13 Cal, 95-73
Wesley Johnson recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Arinze Onuaku added 12 points for the Orange (3-0), who advanced to Friday's title game against the North Carolina-Ohio State winner.
Jerome Randle kept California (2-1) competitive with 25 points, including five treys, while Jamal Boykin added 14 points and eight rebounds. Patrick Christopher chipped in 12 points.
California jumped out with the game's first five points before Syracuse's active zone and length turned the tables. Rick Jackson's slam capped a 9-0 burst for a 9-5 lead, then Jackson finished off another scoring onslaught of eight successive points with a transition lay-in for a 26-14 advantage.
The Golden Bears slowly worked their way back under double digits, trailing at one time by 14 before drawing within 41-33 on Randle’s trey with just over 1:30 to play in the first half.
Syracuse went back up by double figures, 44-33, heading into the locker room.
The Orange came out in the second half with the same formula for success, pushing out to a 56-39 lead behind a Johnson trey and an underhanded layup by Jardine.
Brandon Triche's conventional three-point play capped an 8-0 stretch moments later as Syracuse raced to a 64-41 lead on the Bears. The Orange maintained its comfortable edge with a heavy dose of scoring on the interior as Onuaku's slam made the score 75-54 with just over eight minutes to play.
Syracuse shot 57.1 percent from the floor and made nine three-pointers...The Bears connected on just 40 percent of their shots, and other than Randle, made only 1-of-11 from beyond the arc...California grabbed 15 offensive rebounds...This was the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
- Via Sports Network
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