Pittsburgh, PA – Syracuse nearly made dubious NCAA Tournament Asheville. Two days later, the Orange more resembled the team that held the top ranking for six weeks during the regular season.
Dion Waiters scored 18 points and Scoop Jardine added 16 with eight assists, as Syracuse pulled away in the second half for a 75-59 victory over Kansas State to advance to the East Region semifinals.
James Southerland chipped in 15 points and six rebounds off the bench, while Rakeem Christmas had, perhaps, the best game of his freshman season in the absence of the ineligible Fab Melo. Christmas scored eight points and grabbed a team-best 11 rebounds for the top-seeded Orange (33-2), who were coming off the 72-65 win over 16th-seeded UNC-Asheville on Thursday.
Syracuse reached the regional semifinals for the third time in the last four years and will next play the winner between Wisconsin and Vanderbilt next Thursday in Boston.
Jordan Henriquez scored 14 points and pulled down 17 rebounds for Kansas State (22-11), which lost in the round of 32 for the second straight year. The Wildcats were beaten by Wisconsin last spring.
Kansas State's Rodney McGruder battled through a sprained left ankle that he sustained in the first half and followed up his 30-point performance from Thursday against Southern Miss with 15 points on Saturday.
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