January 5, 1999

Box Score

By KEN BERGER
AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Ryan Blackwell can be one of most frustrating players Jim Boeheim has coached, except when he takes the floor in Philadelphia.

On the same court where he had a breakthrough game last year, Blackwell scored a career-high 25 points and had 16 rebounds as No. 20 Syracuse beat Villanova 74-52 Tuesday night.

"I think he likes it here," Boeheim said. "He played well last year down here. ... That's the best game anybody has had for us this year. He was tremendous."

The Orangemen (11-3, 3-2 Big East) won their fourth straight, punctuating a blowout victory on Damone Brown's dunk with 36 seconds left with four Syracuse starters still on the floor.

The Wildcats (10-4, 1-3) made it very hard for the Orangemen not to blow them out. Villanova had a season-high 23 turnovers in its first game since being snowed out at Notre Dame on Saturday. The Wildcats didn't have a second-half field goal by a player other than Howard Brown until T.J. Caouette's three-point play with 4:20 remaining.

"There's not too much you can say about that one," Villanova coach Steve Lappas said. "It seems like a pattern has developed lately. We're starting out way down and it's tough to get out of the hole."

Syracuse is playing much better since losing its first two Big East games to West Virginia and Seton Hall. The Orangemen played 2-3 zone effectively for what Boeheim said was the first time since beating Indiana.

"I think we're starting to come together," said Blackwell, whose yearly career-game in Philadelphia certainly helped.

The 6-foot-7 forward came in shooting 36 percent from the field, but made 10 of 13. He had 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting last February in a 69-64 victory over Villanova in the First Union Center - which was known as the Corestates Center at the time.

Whatever they call it, Blackwell seems to like it.

"I really don't know what it is," Blackwell said. "I think we're in a good flow, a good groove."

Allen Griffin had 16 points and six assists for the Orangemen, who beat Villanova for the third straight time. Jason Hart had 14 points.

Brown, who led the Wildcats with 18 points, was 5-for-7 from the field in the second half while the rest of the team was 3-for-19.

"We're not as confident as we were, but there's still a lot of basketball to be played," Brown said. "It's only January."

Boeheim cringed when he recalled the games in which Blackwell has struggled the most from the field - Notre Dame (1-for-11), Santa Clara (1-for-7) and Indiana (4-for-12).

"At Notre Dame, no exaggeration, he should have been 20 for 20," Boeheim said. "He had seven uncontested layups. He hit a 3-pointer and missed seven uncontested layups. He did a great job tonight. He played beautifully."

Boeheim didn't pull his starters until after Brown's dunk on a touch pass from Blackwell made it 72-52. Despite the wide margin, Syracuse had 18 turnovers.

"That's something we have to cut down on," Blackwell said.

Syracuse was boosted by a 15-0 run in the first half as Villanova missed 11 of 12 shots. John Celestand finally ended the scoreless drought with a foul shot, and Jermaine Medley hit a 3-pointer to cut it to 15-6.

Villanova went on a 13-2 run, capped by Medley's pullup jumper, but the Orangemen led 31-25 at halftime. There were 24 turnovers in the first half alone, and Villanova committed only one personal foul.

The 19,000-seat First Union Center, bereft of basketball because of the NBA lockout, was 4,000 short of a sellout. Philadelphia 76ers mascot "Hip Hop" was booed mercilessly during two appearances in which he fired T-shirts into the stands and did acrobatic dunks.