SYRACUSE, N.Y., Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Rick Jackson led four players scoring in double figures Saturday, powering No. 3 Syracuse to an impressive 95-77 decision over No. 8 Villanova.
Jackson scored 19 points, Arinze Onuaku donated 17 and grabbed nine rebounds while Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph each added 16 for Syracuse, which made a strong case for next week's No. 1 ranking with its 14th win in 15 games.
The Orange (27-2, 14-2 Big East) clinched a share of the conference title with the nationally televised win before a record crowd of 34,616 in the Carrier Dome, the biggest on-campus crowd in the history of NCAA basketball.
With Villanova holding a 30-26 lead late in the first half, Jardine connected on a 3-pointer to ignite a decisive 10-0 Syracuse run that featured a Joseph jam to put the Orange ahead and pair of fouls shots by Johnson for a 36-30 advantage.
Scottie Reynolds led with Wildcats (23-5, 12-4) with 16 points while Corey Fisher chipped in with 14 and Mouphtaou Yarou and Antonio Pena added 13 apiece in the loss.
