Syracuse freshman Eric Devendorf might not be starting early in his college career, but he showed Wednesday night just how valuable he can be at the end of games.

Devendorf scored all six of his points in the final 5:25, forced a steal and ignited a stagnant Orange offense as SU defeated Cornell, 67-62, Wednesday night before 17,188 at the Carrier Dome.

The win advances Syracuse to the semifinals of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer at Madison Square Garden. Syracuse will face the winner of the Lubbock regional Nov. 17 at 9 p.m.

‘Eric did a real good job of getting into the lane and making those plays,’ Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. ‘He made those plays that were the difference.’

For a while during the second half, Syracuse fans who purchased advance tickets to the semifinals at the Garden had to be a bit worried at the thought of not only wasted money, but seeing an embarrassing home loss to the Big Red. Syracuse had defeated Cornell 27 straight games dating back to the 1968-1969 season, including an 82-69 win last season in the Dome.

Devendorf’s final stat line might look unimpressive but his impact was significant, no more so than in the final five minutes of a 20-minute effort.

He scored six points on 3-of-7 shooting, adding two rebounds and two assists. Devendorf also had an excellent half-court-long pass to Terrence Roberts, skipping the ball down the court while falling down to lead to an easy Roberts dunk.

Devendorf’s said he’s been unhappy with how he’s played in the two games so far but when Boeheim told him to penetrate the lane, the freshman listened and obeyed his coach’s orders, changing the game during a crucial four-possession span.

‘I expect a lot out of myself,’ Devendorf said. ‘Coach told me to go in there and penetrate the gap and that’s what I did. Luckily I made those three layups.’

Trailing 55-52, Devendorf penetrated and scored on a layup in a half-court possession, then forced a steal on Cornell’s next possession, which led to a Roberts basket.

Gerry McNamara then stole the ball on Cornell’s next trip and got fouled on a fast-break layup attempt. He hit both free throws, giving SU a 56-55 lead. McNamara swatted away the ball on Cornell’s next trip up the floor, leading to a loose-ball scrum. SU ultimately gained control.

Devendorf obeyed Boeheim’s words again and penetrated. He managed a layup that put SU ahead, 60-55, with 3:32 remaining. He added another layup with 2:33 remaining to give SU a controlling 62-57 lead.

‘He saved us for a little bit there,’ McNamara said. ‘We couldn’t get a bucket and he came in, he got us three buckets right in a row. That was big for us.’

Devendorf’s late play overshadowed a typical early season, sloppy SU performance. Syracuse shot a dismal five percent from 3-point range, connecting on just one of 19 tries. Cornell freshman Adam Gore helped keep the Big Red in the game with his game-high 22 points. Gore hit 6-of-10 3-pointers, including three in the first half. He sparked an 18-9 first-half run that brought Cornell back from an early 11-2 deficit.

Syracuse managed a 12-4 run to end the first half, salvaging a 35-27 halftime lead, but the sloppy play continued throughout the game. Syracuse’s half-court offense routinely stalled and the Orange committed 13 turnovers, including eight in the first half.

Devendorf helped SU fans forget a little bit about all those miscues.

‘Eric made three plays that without them, we don’t win the game,’ Boeheim said.

Published on November 9, 2005 at 12:00 pm