Spring Break
The Daily OrangeMBB | Bear Necessities: Nichols scores 28 again, leads SU over Baylor
4 players hit double figures in season-high output for Orange
By Kelvin Ang
Posted: 12/16/06, 11:27 PM EST Section: Sports
DEC. 16 -- Demetris Nichols lowered his head and walked slowly to the Syracuse bench. The Carrier Dome crowd exploded in cheers and gave him a standing ovation, but he hardly seemed to notice.
Still, the normally stoic senior forward grinned in the locker room after the game.
"I just try to help my team to win, that's all," Nichols said. "All my hard work's paid off."
Nichols matched his career high with 28 points for the second time in three games, leading No. 23 Syracuse to a comfortable 94-71 victory over Baylor before 17,690 fans at the Carrier Dome Saturday night. Nichols has scored 28, 26 and 28 points in his last three contests, smashing his previous mark for scoring output in a three-game span.
Sporting a seven-inch height advantage over Curtis Jerrells, the Baylor guard defending him, Nichols rarely hesitated to shoot the ball, going 12-for-18 from the field and 4-for-6 from beyond the arc.
"He's playing with a lot of confidence," Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. "He's gotten better every year. I think he's still capable of playing at an even higher level, but he's playing at a very high level now."
Four other Syracuse players reached double figures. Darryl Watkins also tied his career high with 15 points, and Andy Rautins, making his first ever start, chipped in with 10.
The Orange (9-2) left the court at halftime with a 41-29 lead, but Nichols scorched the Bears (6-3) with four baskets in the first 2:34 of the second half to blow the game wide open. He scored all of the Orange's points in a 10-2 run that stretched the SU lead to 51-31.
Nichols started his spree with a turnaround jumper, and forward Terrence Roberts found him on the baseline for an alley-oop lay-up on the next possession. Nichols then buried back-to-back 3-pointers to force a Baylor timeout. Nichols allowed himself a tiny smile as he walked to the bench.
"The Demetris 10-2 run?" forward Paul Harris said, laughing. "It definitely boosted us up.
Still, the normally stoic senior forward grinned in the locker room after the game.
"I just try to help my team to win, that's all," Nichols said. "All my hard work's paid off."
Nichols matched his career high with 28 points for the second time in three games, leading No. 23 Syracuse to a comfortable 94-71 victory over Baylor before 17,690 fans at the Carrier Dome Saturday night. Nichols has scored 28, 26 and 28 points in his last three contests, smashing his previous mark for scoring output in a three-game span.
Sporting a seven-inch height advantage over Curtis Jerrells, the Baylor guard defending him, Nichols rarely hesitated to shoot the ball, going 12-for-18 from the field and 4-for-6 from beyond the arc.
"He's playing with a lot of confidence," Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. "He's gotten better every year. I think he's still capable of playing at an even higher level, but he's playing at a very high level now."
Four other Syracuse players reached double figures. Darryl Watkins also tied his career high with 15 points, and Andy Rautins, making his first ever start, chipped in with 10.
The Orange (9-2) left the court at halftime with a 41-29 lead, but Nichols scorched the Bears (6-3) with four baskets in the first 2:34 of the second half to blow the game wide open. He scored all of the Orange's points in a 10-2 run that stretched the SU lead to 51-31.
Nichols started his spree with a turnaround jumper, and forward Terrence Roberts found him on the baseline for an alley-oop lay-up on the next possession. Nichols then buried back-to-back 3-pointers to force a Baylor timeout. Nichols allowed himself a tiny smile as he walked to the bench.
"The Demetris 10-2 run?" forward Paul Harris said, laughing. "It definitely boosted us up.
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