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No. 3 Syracuse drops Marshall to remain perfect

Dec 7, 2011 - 3:43 AM Syracuse, NY (Sports Network) - Dion Waiters had 15 points and two steals off the bench, as the third-ranked Syracuse Orange stayed perfect with a 62-56 victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd.

Kris Joseph added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Orange (9-0), who are off to a 9-0 start for a fourth straight season. Scoop Jardine donated 10 points, seven boards, four assists and three steals.

"The entire game we did a really good job and they did not make anything, which helps, but I thought we kept moving and kept the ball out of the middle," Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. "Offensively we probably had ten fast break opportunities, but we did not convert and you just have to convert those. We made some bad decisions and that's disappointing."

Dennis Tinnon ended with 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Thundering Herd (5-2), who have lost two in a row. Damier Pitts tallied 10 points.

Marshall turned the ball over 19 times, leading to 20 Syracuse points.

With the game tied at 4-4 early on, the Orange went on a 24-8 run to take control. Waiters tallied eight points during the burst, which Fab Melo capped with a layup for a 28-12 lead with five minutes left in the first half.

The Thundering Herd scored the next six points, but James Southerland made a three-pointer to give Syracuse a 31-18 margin at the break.

Ahead 37-26 five minutes into the second half, the Orange ripped off six straight points for their largest lead of the game. Joseph's layup made it a 43-26 contest with 11:42 to play.

Marshall got hot from beyond the arc late in the game to get within six, 62-56, but that was with five seconds remaining.

Game Notes

Syracuse is 35-1 at home against non-conference opponents, dating back to the 2008-09 season...Marshall beat Syracuse in the only previous meeting between these two programs way back during the 1947-48 campaign...Marshall is 0-17 against teams ranked in the AP top five...Melo had nine points and four blocks...The Thundering Herd went 5-of-24 from three-point range.