SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Hakim Warrick had 22 points and 14 rebounds to lead seventh-ranked Syracuse past Albany 72-55 on Tuesday night.<br>
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It was the fifth straight win for the Orange (12-1) and their seventh without a loss in their series against Albany (4-5).<br>
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Syracuse won convincingly even though junior guard Gerry McNamara, averaging nearly 15 points, had only 6 and senior swingman Josh Pace only 2, 10 below his season average.<br>
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Demetris Nichols, back after missing three games with a sore back, scored 10 points. <br>
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Levi Levine had 15 points, Jamar Wilson 14, and Lucious Jordan 10 to go with seven rebounds. But they were a combined 14-for-47 for Albany. The Great Danes shot just 31 percent and were outrebounded 52-37.<br>
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McNamara, coming off one of the best games of his career, a 19-point, 10-assist and nine-rebound effort against Rice, was 2-for-9 on 3-pointers. But he hit his only 3 of the first half and then sent Pace on a fast-break layup to send Syracuse on an early 9-0 run that set the tone.<br>
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A fallaway baseline jumper by Warrick from just inside the 3-point line put the Orange up 26-13 with 7:48 left.<br>
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The Great Danes, who entered the game shooting an impressive 47.6 percent on 3-pointers, missed their first seven attempts against the active Orange defense and finished the game 6-for-25 from long range. <br>
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Levine finally found the mark from the left wing at 8:09, and a long 3-pointer from the top of the key by Jordan moved Albany within 32-24 with 2:43 left in the first.<br>
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McNamara, who had eight assists in the first half, threw his second straight lob to Warrick, and Warrick ended the half with a one-hand dunk at the buzzer to put the Orange ahead 36-24 at the break.<br>
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The Great Danes squandered any chance they had by missing 11 of their first 13 shots in the first eight minutes of the second half and Syracuse gradually pulled away.<br>
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Nichols had seven points in a 56-second span to give the Orange a 20-point lead. He hit a curling layup, stole the ball and went in for another layup, and then drained his second 3-pointer of the game with 8:48 left.
