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NEW YORK (AP) -- Syracuse's zone defense had Wake Forest worried,
but it was a fierce press by the Orangemen that beat the Demon
Deacons 74-67 Friday night in the Preseason NIT championship game.
Trailing by 10 points, 48-38, Syracuse looked dazed and
distracted before Deshaun Williams and Preston Shumpert ignited a
second-half comeback with a 16-2 run constructed as much on their
defense as their scoring.
Williams, MVP of the tournament, scored seven of his game-high
23 points, Shumpert got five of his 19, and Kueth Duany contributed
consecutive baskets in the spurt.
Shumpert was just as pleased with his six steals.
"We went to the press and started getting after it," he said
"We stuck our nose in and fought on every possession."
It took a while though.
"The other night, we were getting loose balls and we were
active on defense," coach Jim Boeheim said. "Tonight, we were not
active enough and our offense was not quite there.
"They attacked our zone and the only way back was the press. We
got four or five turnovers and that wasn't something I thought we'd
be able to do against their seniors."
Neither did Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser.
"Taking care of the ball is the key to beating Syracuse," he
said. "We did that in the first half. Even after the run we had a
shot to regain control. We didn't make the big shots and Syracuse
did. That's why they are the champions and we're not."
The 16-2 spurt put the Orangemen (5-0) up 56-52. Wake Forest
(4-1) regained the lead briefly on a 3-pointer by Broderick Hicks
and a basket by Antwan Scott, but consecutive 3-pointers by
Williams and Shumpert put Syracuse back in front.
Darius Songaila, the hero of Wake Forest's semifinal win over
Fresno State, nailed five free throws to tie the score at 62 with
3:37 to play. He finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Freshman Craig Forth put Syracuse ahead again with a basket
inside. After that, the Orangemen's defense stiffened, and four
foul shots by Williams two by Shumpert, and a steal and basket by
James Thues gave Syracuse an eight-point edge with less than a
minute to play.
Duany added 15 points for Syracuse, and Josh Howard, who sparked
the Orangemen to a 35-32 halftime lead, had 14.
In the third-place game, Fresno State (No. 21 ESPN/USA Today, No. 23 AP) defeated Michigan State 63-58.
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