NEW YORK — Scoop Jardine scored a career-high 22 points, Wes Johnson had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Syracuse raced past No. 13 California 95-73 last night in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic.
Arinze Onuaku added 12 points for the Orange, who made Madison Square Garden feel like home in the tournament benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer. Syracuse will play No. 6 North Carolina or No. 15 Ohio State for the championship tonight.
Thousands of orange-clad faithful scattered around the arena had plenty to cheer about.
Syracuse confounded the Bears (2-1) from the tip with coach Jim Boeheim's trademark zone defense, building a double-digit lead by halftime.
The Orange then put the game away with a brutally efficient 15-4 run early in the second half, taking a 64-41 lead on Brandon Triche's three-point play with just over 15 minutes left.
The final could have been much more lopsided if not for Cal star Jerome Randle, who hit a 3-pointer during a 9-0 spurt and tried vainly to rally his team back.
Randle finished with 25 points, while Jamal Boykin had 14 and Patrick Christopher 12.
Cal reached the NCAA tournament in coach Mike Montgomery's first season, and with four seniors in the starting lineup, was picked to win the Pac-10 title and a trendy choice for the Final Four.
