NO. 2 SYRACUSE 85, CONNECTICUT 67: Scoop Jardine scored 21 points – including a pair of back-breaking 3-pointers late – and second-ranked Syracuse extended its home winning streak to 20 games with victory over Big East rival Connecticut.

Dion Waiters added 18 points and Kris Joseph chipped in 15 for Syracuse (25-1, 12-1 Big East), which led the entire second half but couldn’t put the Huskies away until the final six minutes. The Orange secured its fifth straight win by closing on a 22-6 run.

Jeremy Lamb scored 18 points and freshman Ryan Boatright added 14 for the Huskies (15-9, 5-7), who have lost six of seven.

Connecticut was without coach Jim Calhoun for a third straight game. The Hall of Fame coach is on an indefinite medical leave to deal with spinal stenosis – a painful back injury. Calhoun’s young team responded nicely after suffering an embarrassing 21-point loss to Louisville Monday night, but the Orange had an answer for every UConn run.

After Tyler Olander’s free throw, which capped a 9-2 spurt, pulled the Huskies to with 63-61 with 6:28 left, Jardine promptly responded with back-to-back 3-pointers. Syracuse then proceeded to run the Huskies off the court.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Connecticut was held without a field goal for more than seven minutes in the first half. … Syracuse 7-foot center Fab Melo showed surprising range by hitting three jumpers of at least 15 feet in the first half. .. UConn freshman Andre Drummond left with an ankle injury early in the second half. He returned with just over nine minutes remaining, but didn’t score or record a rebound. He had 13 points and five rebounds.