'Cuse Claims Third Maui Title

Wednesday, November 27

10:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

7-0

Baylor University

6-1

SYRACUSE

BAYLOR

Senior C.J. Fair won the Maui Invitational MVP with averages of 18 points and 6.3 rebounds per game

11/27/2013 11:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Box Score | Box Score (.pdf) | Coach Boeheim Quotes | Student-Athlete Quotes

MAUI, HAWAII – No. 8/7 Syracuse defeated No. 18/17 Baylor 74-67 to claim the school's third EA Sports Maui Invitational title on Wednesday, Nov. 27.

The Orange (7-0) improved to 9-0 all-time in the Maui Invitational. SU last won the tournament in 1990 and 1998. Senior C.J. Fair was named the Maui Invitational Most Valuable Player while sophomore Jerami Grant earned all-tournament honors.

Fair led all players with 24 points in the finals. In three games at Maui, he averaged 18 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Grant finished with 19 points against Baylor and averaged 16.7 points and 5.3 rebounds. Freshman Tyler Ennis narrowly missed a double-double with 11 points, nine assists and four steals with no turnovers and redshirt sophomore Trevor Cooney added 11 points.

"It's been a great trip and it's certainly a beautiful place," Coach Jim Boeheim said after the win. "We want to play in a tournament that is going to test us. Usually you get an easy game and we had four ridiculously difficult games."

For the second straight game, both teams shot over 50-percent, this time SU's opponent held a slight advantage. Thanks to a 68.2 shooting percentage in the second half, Baylor (6-1) ended the game at 55.3-percent (26-47) to 50.8-percent for SU (30-59).

Despite being out-rebounded, the Orange forced 20 turnovers and outscored the Bears 24-8 in points off miscues.

Syracuse started the game with 10 of the first 12 points, including consecutive threes by Ennis and Fair. Baylor hit its next four three-pointers, including a pair from Royce O'Neale to give the Bears a 16-14 cushion. It would be the last lead as the Orange responded by going on a 19-4 run over the next six minutes to take its largest lead of the half at 33-20 behind nine points from Grant with 7:16 left.

A 10-3 spurt from Baylor, which featured six points from Cory Jefferson, closed the gap to 36-30. But, Grant converted a layup with 74 second remaining to take SU into halftime up 38-30.

SU's lead bounced between four and 14 for the entire second half. After SU extended its advantage to 54-40 following a 12-4 run, Baylor answered with 10 of the next 12 to get within 56-50 with 8:34 remaining in the game. Grant converted a pair of three-point plays to help Syracuse match its largest margin at 66-52.

The Bears followed that up with eight unanswered points to get back within 66-60 with 3:07 to go. However, the teams traded points the rest of the way and Baylor never got closer than five down the stretch.

Free throw shooting proved to be crucial for the Orange in the third straight contest. One game removed from recording the fifth best percentage in school history, Syracuse went 10-of-11 from the charity stripe and made all four of its free throws in the final 30 seconds. SU finished 55-of-62 (88.7%) from the line as a team in three games at Maui.

Baylor had five players reach double-figures, led by Jefferson's 15 points and eight rebounds. Kenny Chery chipped in with 12 points and eight assists.

Syracuse returns home for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge against rv/25 Indiana on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at the Carrier Dome at 7:15 p.m.