Rick Jackson collected 17 points and 16 rebounds as No. 7 Syracuse ran away from No. 8 Michigan State, 72-58, on Tuesday in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.

Syracuse (9-0) used a 12-2 run early in the first half to gain control and took a 38-29 lead in the locker room. The edge grew to 46-34 when Jackson hit a free throw with 17:21 left before Michigan State made a run, cutting it to 48-46 when Derrick Nix converted a three-point play at the 13:16 mark.

But that was as close as it would get, as the Orange slowly pulled away over the next 10 minutes to bump the advantage back to double digits.

The Spartans (6-3) have now dropped three games already this season, though all three have been to teams currently ranked in the top seven in the country. Despite the level of competition, the losses could drop them out of the top 10 for the first time this season.

The Orange have yet to travel past Atlantic City and won’t go further away than New Jersey until heading to Pittsburgh on January 17.