ROCHESTER – With 10 seconds left and the game out of reach, three Syracuse men’s basketball fans shouted at Hakim Warrick, cheering the junior on his performance.Warrick, standing with hands on knees, tipped his head in their direction and nodded.’They were just showing their appreciation,’ Warrick said. ‘So I acknowledged them. It was my way of showing my appreciation for them.’On a night in which many of the 11,650 on hand – the largest crowd ever to witness an athletic event at Blue Cross Arena – jeered the Orangemen, Warrick’s game drew praise from the few SU fans in attendance.After Warrick’s game – 10-of-17 shooting, 27 points – last night against St. Bonaventure led No. 16 Syracuse to an 87-78 win, Warrick asserted himself as SU’s No. 1 scoring option.In a game in which St. Bonaventure stuck with Syracuse through the first half – the Bonnies trailed, 39-35, with 3:21 left in the first half – Warrick stayed calm. He paced SU with a soft touch that led to a 21-point second-half lead, putting the game out of reach for the Bonnies.’We gave ourselves a chance and took a step in the right direction,’ St. Bonaventure head coach Anthony Solomon said. ‘There were a couple of tears shed in that locker room after the game, but there should be when you pour your heart and soul into it.’Warrick said SU wanted to give him the ball inside if St. Bonaventure decided not to double-team him. When the Bonnies came out in a zone, the Orangemen looked for Warrick.’I wish we could’ve done a better job getting him the ball,’ SU head coach Jim Boeheim said. ‘He played very well. When they defend Gerry (McNamara) like that, that’s gonna happen.’McNamara, SU’s shooting guard, hit just 6 of 15 shots, forcing a number of 3s despite strong defensive pressure. McNamara hit 3 of 9 3-pointers.Patrick Lottin and Yankuba Camara defended Warrick, desperately clinging to the 6-foot-8 forward as he sifted through the Bonnies’ zone defense.Boeheim said he was pleased with Warrick after imploring the junior to be more physical inside. On one fast break, Warrick sailed from 10 feet out and tomahawked the ball through the basket, drawing even the St. Bonaventure fans to their feet.’That’s what he’s gotta do,’ Boeheim said. ‘See, Carmelo (Anthony) was like that. Carmelo had that big smile, but when he got on the court, he had that killer instinct. Hakim’s personality isn’t like that. He’s gotta have that killer instinct like he did tonight.’Said Warrick: ‘(Boeheim) wants me to be a killer. He wants me to be aggressive. I thought I was pretty aggressive tonight. Maybe next time I’ll throw some elbows.’Warrick mirrored Anthony in more than just aggression, driving to the basket and drawing fouls, much like the current Denver Nugget did last season. Following an 18-for-22 performance from the line in SU’s 69-65 win over Rhode Island on Saturday, Warrick hit 7 of 10 free throws, most coming on three-point plays.’I’m definitely trying to draw fouls,’ Warrick said. ‘I was talking to Coach (Troy) Weaver, and he said there’s no reason I shouldn’t have seven to 10 foul shots a game.’Warrick, who also grabbed nine rebounds, scored nine of SU’s first 15 points, as the Orangemen jumped out to a quick 15-4 lead.But the Bonnies hung close before SU pulled away in the second half. After taking a 21-point lead with 7:41 left in the game, Syracuse held off a late Bonnie run as St. Bonaventure pulled within nine but never closer.Point guard Billy Edelin also proved a viable scoring threat, collecting 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting.Syracuse outmuscled a smaller, less-talented St. Bonaventure team. The Bonnies, who were the embarrassment of NCAA basketball last season after deciding to forfeit their final two games because of NCAA violations, dressed just nine players.Still, SU was pleased with a dominating effort after two consecutive lackluster games, a 96-92 loss to Charlotte and the four-point win over URI.’This is the best game we’ve played so far,’ Warrick said. ‘We needed a game like this. The first two games we played, we didn’t want to come out like that. We wanted to come out on top, and we did.’