Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (11/30/09) – Syracuse forward Wesley Johnson scored 19 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished five assists in 23 minutes as the undefeated No. 7 Orange defeated Colgate 92-58 Monday night at the Carrier Dome.

Senior guard Kyle Roemer (Martinez, Calif.), sophomore forward Yaw Gyawu (Lilburn, Ga.) and freshman point guard Mitch Rolls (Coffeyville, Kan.) each led Colgate with eight points. Senior forward Ben Jonson (Dallas, Texas), junior point guard Joe Hoban (West Chester, Pa.), and sophomore center Nick Pascale (DeWitt, N.Y.) pitched in seven points. Rolls also led Colgate with six assists. Freshman forward Brandon James (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) grabbed five rebounds for the Raiders.
   
Wesley Johnson began the game with two consecutive three-pointers, setting the tone for the contest. Rolls responded with a baseline three-pointer that bounced around the rim and backboard before dropping in. Orange forward Andy Rautins then knocked down a wing three-pointer to give the Orange an early 9-3 lead. Pascale made a layup to get Colgate within four points, but from that moment on, Syracuse dominated the first half, going on a 38-11 run that granted the Orange a 47-16 halftime lead.

Johnson scored 16 first half points, as the athletic transfer from Iowa State threw down two alley-oop dunks, one of them a one-hander off a dish from Rautins. Colgate shot only 20 percent in the first half and committed 10 turnovers, while the Orange shot 57 percent and dished a whopping 19 assists in the first 20 minutes.
   
Rolls began the second half with five consecutive points. Syracuse center Arinze Onuaku responded with a jumper, but Roemer fired back with the three-pointer from the elbow to cap an 8-2 Colgate run. Onuaku, however, went on to score eight more second-half points, leading a 45-point second half Syracuse effort. The Raiders played a much better second half, scoring 42 points and shooting 50 percent from the field.
   
For Syracuse, Onuaku scored 12 points and James Southerland, Kris Joseph, and Mookie Jones each scored 10. Syracuse guard Scoop Jardine and Andy Rautins each led the Orange with eight assists.
   
The Orange (7-0) had 35 assists and out-rebounded Colgate 42-29.

Colgate (0-6) will host the University of Maine on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Cotterell Court.