Syracuse tops Cornell

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Jonny Flynn had 24 points, Paul Harris added 21 points and nine rebounds and No. 16 Syracuse rallied to beat Cornell 88-78 on Wednesday night. Cornell (4-4), playing its fifth straight road game, hasnt beaten Syracuse in 40 years, suffering 31 straight losses, but the Big Red staged a game fight behind a career-high 33 points from Ryan Wittman. Syracuse (8-0) has displayed a penchant for poor play at the start of nearly every game, having rallied twice from 13 points down to win, and this night was no exception. The Orange trailed the entire first half, once by 16, and center Arinze Onuaku didnt take a shot after averaging 13 points a game coming in. Onuaku converted a three-point play to start the second half and move the Orange within 40-38. After Andy Rautins swished a 3 from right wing to tie it at 53-all, Harris scored eight points in a 12-0 Syracuse run. Rautins finished the spurt with two free throws, giving Syracuse a 67-57 lead with 8:33 left. The Big Red, who were 13-of-29 on 3-pointers, didnt buckle. Consecutive 3-pointers by Wittman, his eighth and ninth of the game, brought them within 70-65 less than two minutes later. But they never got closer as Syracuse shot 75 percent (18-for-24) in the half, outscored Cornell 27-5 at the free-throw line for the game, and had 15 steals. Wittman took 28 shots and finished 9-of-19 on 3-pointers, one off the Carrier Dome record of 10 3-pointers set by Charlottes Brendan Plavich in November 2003. Geoff Reeves added 15 points and Jeff Foote had 10 points and seven rebounds for the Big Red, who outrebounded the Orange 36-32, including 16-8 on the offensive glass.