Syracuse, NY (My Sportsbook) - Jonny Flynn scored 24 points and added six assists, as 16th-ranked Syracuse overcame a double-digit deficit early to notch an 88-78 win over Cornell.
Paul Harris added 21 points and nine rebounds for the Orange (8-0), who shot 56 percent from the floor. Eric Devendorf contributed 15 points, while Arinze Onuaku had 12.
Ryan Wittman had a game-high 33 points, making 9-of-19 three-point attempts, for Cornell (4-4), which has lost two in a row. Geoff Reeves added 15 points, while Jeff Foote finished with 10 points, seven boards and six assists for the Big Red.
Despite getting in a big hole early, the Orange scored six straight points early on in the second half to take their first lead, at 44-42.
The game remained a back-and-forth affair, and with a little under 11 minutes on the clock, Chris Wroblewski deposited a jumper to tie the game at 57-57.
Syracuse, though, took control by scoring 12 consecutive points as Cornell went without a point for almost three minutes. Harris began the run with a three-point play and ended it with a layup for a 69-57 advantage with 8:22 to go.
Cornell cut its deficit to five points several times down the stretch, but couldn't recover despite the early leads. With 4:24 left, Flynn's bucket made it 77-69, and the Orange held on for the win from there.
Cornell opened the game with a three-pointer, and didn't relinquish the lead the entire first half. About five minutes into the game, the Big Red went on a 12-0 run, during which Wittman scored eight points. He had the final five, a jumper and three-pointer, to put Cornell up 25-9 with just under 12 minutes left.
The Big Red continued to lead by double digits until Syracuse got back in the game on the strength of a 10-0 stretch. Harris had six points, and a Kris Joseph free throw capped the run to cut Cornell's lead to 33-29 with 5:28 on the clock.
Cornell went back up by double digits on a Foote basket with under three minutes left, but from that point Syracuse ended the half with five consecutive points to go into the locker room down 40-35.
Game Notes
Wittman made more three-pointers than the entire Syracuse team (5- for-17)...The Orange made 27-of-38 free throws, compared to a 5-of-7 performance by the Big Red.