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Syracuse rallies late to top Stanford, win NIT Season Tip-Off

Nov 26, 2011 - 12:54 AM New York, NY (Sports Network) - Kris Joseph scored 18 points, Scoop Jardine had 14 and No. 5 Syracuse rallied in the final 4 1/2 minutes on Friday to beat Stanford, 69-63, and win the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Down six, the Orange (6-0) used a 10-0 run, capped by Joseph's high-arcing bank shot and a three-point play from Dion Waiters, to take a 64-60 lead with 2:08 remaining in the game.

Minutes earlier, Stanford had taken its largest lead of the game when Aaron Bright knocked down a three-pointer to make it 55-47 at the end of a 9-2 run.

Bright led the Cardinal (5-1) with 13 points and Chasson Randle added 12.

Joseph was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament while Waiters and C.J. Fair, who both scored 10 points Friday, made the all-tournament team from Syracuse. Brandon Triche had 11 points in the win.

The Orange trailed 25-24 at halftime, but things looked even more dire late in the game before they finished on a 22-8 run.

It was their third straight victory since longtime assistant coach Bernie Fine was accused last week by two former ball boys of sexual molestation. The Orange had beaten Virginia Tech on Wednesday to reach the final at Madison Square Garden.

After Bright's three-pointer gave Stanford its eight-point lead, Joseph scored two quick buckets to cut it in half. The Cardinal were initially able to stop the rally on John Gage's three-pointer from the left corner, but Joseph followed with a three.

Stanford's last points before Syracuse's 10-0 run came on Randle's two free throws to make it 60-54 with around 4 1/2 minutes left.

Triche's layup sparked the run and Fair and Waiters both scored three points during it. After Waiters made it 64-60, Randle banked in a three-pointer to keep Stanford close.

But Waiters scored two points on a steal and Cardinal goaltending call and Joseph knocked down 1-of-2 free throws to give Syracuse a 67-63 lead with 22.2 seconds left.

Stanford, after beating Oklahoma State in the semifinals, had no timeouts left and missed its last two shots.

Game Notes

It was the first-ever meeting between the teams...Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim earned his 862nd win and is 14 behind Adolph Rupp for fourth place all-time among Division I coaches. Boeheim is No. 2 among active coaches behind only all-time wins leader Mike Krzyzewski of Duke.