Syracuse Has the Answer for Connecticut

One less question for Syracuse and still no losses.

The fourth-ranked Orangemen remained the nation’s only unbeaten team with an 88-74 victory over No. 6 Connecticut on Monday night at Syracuse, N.Y.

It seemed no matter what Syracuse did this season, there was a question about how good the Orangemen really were.

Syracuse’s first 10 games were all at home and the competition wasn’t too steep. Then the Orangemen, 16-0 overall and 6-0 in the Big East, went on the road for three consecutive games and won all three.

Connecticut (13-4, 2-3) was the first ranked team Syracuse had played, and the Orangemen, with six players scoring in double figures, responded with an emphatic victory.

“That’s about as well as we’ve played this season and we’re getting better,” Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim said after the Orangemen matched the 1917-18 team for the best start in school history. “We did a good job defensively and a good job on the boards. We played well.”

The game also added to the questions facing Connecticut, which has lost three of six and has doubled its loss total from last season’s NCAA title run.

“To put it bluntly, they punked us,” Connecticut guard Khalid El-Amin said. “They got up on us, got in our face. We didn’t bring our intensity tonight and that’s not characteristic of this team. We’re 2-3 in the league and can’t afford to drop any more games.”

No. 12 Kansas 89, Colorado 74--Freshman forward Nick Collison scored 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a Big 12 game at Lawrence, Kan., as the Jayhawks rebounded from their worst loss since 1990.

Center Eric Chenowith scored 18 points to lead Kansas (16-3, 5-1), which was coming off an 81-59 upset loss Saturday at Missouri.

The Jayhawks won despite going nearly five minutes without a basket in the second half.

At one point, the Buffaloes (11-7, 2-4) cut Kansas’ 16-point halftime lead to 59-55. But the Jayhawks responded with an 8-0 run, and never lost their double-digit lead.

Meanwhile, Kansas forward Lester Earl was indefinitely suspended from the team after his arrest for drunken driving.

Earl also was charged with driving with a suspended license after he was stopped for speeding early Sunday, said Bill Long, police chief of Eudora, Kan., east of Lawrence.

Long said Earl failed a Breathalyzer test and was jailed. Earl was released on bond and was back in school Monday.

No. 13 Tulsa 84, Centenary 44--David Shelton scored 18 points and the Golden Hurricane shut down the Gents at Tulsa, Okla., securing the best start in school history.

Tony Heard added 12 for the Golden Hurricane (19-1), including four three-point baskets.

Centenary (7-12) made only 27.9% of its shots against a team enjoying its highest ranking since February 1985, when it was 12th.

Tulsa made five three-point shots in the first five minutes to quickly outdistance the Gents with a 17-1 run. The Golden Hurricane didn’t let up after building a 26-point halftime lead.

“From the beginning of the game, coach made us keep in mind that you can’t take anyone lightly,” Heard said.

WOMEN’S GAMES

Peppi Browne converted a three-point play with 27 seconds to play as No. 9 Duke (17-2, 6-1) held on for a 59-54 Atlantic Coast Conference win over Florida State (8-9, 1-6) at Tallahassee, Fla. . . . Julie Studer scored 25 points to lead Kent (14-4) to an 85-74 win over No. 25 Virginia (14-5) at Kent, Ohio.