Texas Tech Athletics
No. 16 Syracuse
Texas Tech Falls to No. 16 Syracuse, 81-46
November 17, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2005
NEW YORK (AP) - Syracuse had big runs in each half and the 16th-ranked Orange ran away to an 81-46 victory over Texas Tech on Thursday night in the semifinals of the 2K Sports College Hoop Classic.
The defending champion Orange (3-0) will play Florida in the championship game Friday night at Madison Square Garden. The Gators advanced with a 77-72 victory over No. 19 Wake Forest in the other semifinal.
The matchup of two of the winningest coaches in college basketball history was never much of a game. Jim Boeheim got his 706th career win and improved his record against Bob Knight to 4-1, although Knight's lone win was in the 1987 national championship game when he was with Indiana. Knight has 856 victories.
Gerry McNamara had 12 points and nine assists for Syracuse, which opened the game with a 20-4 run. The Red Raiders (2-1) missed their first 12 shots from the field and 16 of their first 17.
Demetris Nichols hit a 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to give Syracuse a 34-22 lead.
Dior Lowhorn scored to bring Texas Tech within 42-28 with 17:08 to play, then the Orange went on a 21-3 run to take a 63-31 lead with 9:13 to go.
In that span, the Red Raiders committed eight turnovers against the 2-3 zone. Syracuse led by as many as 39 points - 75-36 with 5:15 left.
Knight's worst loss in his four-plus seasons at Texas Tech was 90-50 to Kansas on March 9, 2002, his first season there.
Nichols and Eric Devendorf each had 11 points for the Orange, while Louie McCroskey had 10. Syracuse shot 51.6 percent from the field (33-for-64), including 8-for-25 from 3-point range. The Orange were a combined 7-for-35 from beyond the arc in their first two games with McNamara going 1-for-14. He was 3-for-7 against Texas Tech.
Lowhorn had 11 points for the Red Raiders, who finished 17-for-59 from the field (28.8 percent).
