Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Scoop Jardine and Rick Jackson returned to their stomping grounds and combined for 38 points to carry No. 17 Syracuse past 15th-ranked Villanova, 69-64, in another close Big East battle.
Jardine notched 20 points and six assists and Jackson had 18 points, including the clinching free throws in the closing seconds for the Orange (23-6, 10-6 Big East), winners of three straight following a 2-6 stretch.
Brandon Triche scored 11 points to offset a quiet night from Syracuse’s leading scorer, Kris Joseph.
Corey Stokes returned from a three-game absence to pace Villanova (21-7, 9-6) with 24 points. The senior guard shook off a turf toe injury and hit all five of the Wildcats’ three-pointers, with the rest of the team missing all 15 of their long-range attempts.
Corey Fisher had an unusually cold-shooting night, hitting just 3-for-16 from the field for eight points in the team’s third loss in five games.