Syracuse 80, Fordham 63

Updated: Nov 16, 2007, 09:08 pm

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) -- Freshman forward Donte Greene had 25 points and nine rebounds, Eric Devendorf had 17 points, and Syracuse beat Fordham 80-63 on Friday night.

It was the first meeting between the teams in 25 years, and the Rams (2-2) were no match for the Orange (3-0), who started slowly, built a double-digit lead in the closing minutes of the first half, and steadily pulled away in the second.

Arinze Onuaku had 12 points, Rick Jackson had nine, and point guard Jonny Flynn had six points, eight assists and no turnovers.

Bryant Dunston led the Rams with 20 points and nine rebounds. Brenton Butler had 16 points, and Marcus Stout 12 points and seven assists.

The Rams, who started four seniors, led the first seven minutes of the game as their methodical attack struck for four 3-pointers, two each by Stout and Butler. A basket off the glass by Dunston gave Fordham its largest lead, 11-5, at 16:52.

Greene converted a four-point play and hit a layup off a pass from Paul Harris, and Devendorf sank a 3-pointer from left wing and then fed Onuaku for a layup to tie it at 16-all with 12:48 left, and then the Orange took off on a 15-5 run.

Jackson converted a pair of layups to start the spurt and Flynn finished it with a steal from the 6-foot-8 Dunston and a fast-break, one-handed dunk to put the Orange up 30-21 with 7:09 left.

Flynn, who had six assists in the first half, continued his stellar playmaking by feeding Jackson for a dunk at 5:35.

Devendorf followed his own miss to boost the Syracuse lead to 36-26 with 2:23 left and Greene wowed the crowd with a stunning one-handed dunk off an underhanded lob from Flynn. The pass was behind Greene, and he somehow managed to reach back with his right hand and slam it cleanly through the rim with 63 seconds left.

Flynn fed Jackson for a layup, and he completed a three-point play with 3 seconds left to give the Orange a 43-29 halftime lead.

Syracuse shot 55.2 percent, had 13 assists on its 16 baskets, and committed only four turnovers in the opening period.

The Rams moved within 11 points twice in the second half. The first came on Stout's 3-pointer from the right side at 16:20, which pulled Fordham within 47-36, and the second was on Butler's 3 from the top of the key at 11:35, which made it 57-46.