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No. 1 Syracuse tops Pitt to set record

Jan 17, 2012 - 4:39 AM Syracuse, NY (Sports Network) - Dion Waiters had 16 points and No. 1 Syracuse set a record for the best start in program history Monday with a 71-63 win over Pittsburgh.

With a record of 20-0, including 7-0 in the Big East, Syracuse passed the 19-0 mark that the 1999-2000 club held.

Scoop Jardine had 12 points and 10 assists while Kris Joseph and Brandon Triche both added 12 points for the Orange, who will play their next two games on the road at Notre Dame and Cincinnati.

"I've been a part of history a couple times here," said Joseph. "The 34,000 crowd, this right here. It's a great feeling. All those things right there, you get remembered, you'll never be forgotten and that's a great feeling. Tonight was for coach and we're glad we got this win."

Ashton Gibbs, Lamar Patterson and Cameron Wright all scored 10 points for the Panthers (11-8, 0-6), who have dropped their past seven games.

Syracuse led this game from start to finish. The Orange scored the first 13 points of the game capped on a Joseph dunk less than four minutes into the game.

Pittsburgh scored nine of the next 11 points to keep the game close, but a three-point play from Joseph with 3:42 left in the half sparked a 7-0 run and the Orange eventually took a 35-26 lead into the break.

Holding a nine-point lead, Jardine gave his team more breathing room with a layup and three-pointer, the last coming roughly four minutes into the second half for a 46-32 lead.

The Panthers hung on and made it a four-point game after a jumper from Talib Zanna made it 53-49 with 8:36 on the clock, but Joseph and Waiters countered with back-to-back threes to again make it a double-digit lead.

That broke Pitt's back as the visitors were unable to get closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Game Notes

Pitt hosts Louisville on Saturday...It was the 100th game between these two schools. Syracuse has won 62 of them...Syracuse shot 46 percent while Pitt made just 39.3 percent of its shots. The Orange did got 20-for-23 at the line and the Panthers hit just 12 of their 23 free throws.