USA - Flynn picks his moment for Syracuse

NEW YORK (NCAA) - Syrcause barely sneaked into the Top 25 on Monday, and by Tuesday they barely avoided dropping right back out of it.

Jonny Flynn, who had set the school points record for a freshman debut with 28 against Siena on Monday night, went scoreless in this one until 5.3 seconds from time, when his three-pointer made all the difference to lift the Orange to a 72-69 win over Saint Josephs.

The result puts Syracuse into the second round of the preseason NIT tournament. The Orange had entered the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll at No. 25 on Monday despite not having played a game before that point.

"I thought for an early-season game, this was a really, really terrific basketball game," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said.

"I think Saint Joe's is going to win a lot of games this year - they're a really good basketball team."

With the game tied at 68-68, Flynn nailed his only basket of the game after using a pick to free up a wide-open shot at the top of the arc. Flynn made one of six from the floor on the night, but was not discouraged.

"When you're a shooter, you just stay with it," Flynn said. "You have to have confidence all game. Even if you make the first 13 or miss the first 13, you always think the next one is going in."

Paul Harris picked up the slack, scoring 18 points and pulling down 14 rebounds, while Donte Greene also scored 18.

Syracuse will face Ohio State in the semifinals of the tournament at Madison Square Garden on November 21.

A matchup between second-ranked UCLA and Division II school Cal-State San Bernandino was only going to end one way.

The Bruins rolled to a 76-41 victory as Josh Shipp stated his credentials to replace departed All-American Aaron Affalo, scoring 14 of his 16 points in the first half to put the result well beyond doubt early.

Shipp led an offense playing without starting point guard Darren Collison for the third straight game by draining four of six shots from the arc in the contest's first 20 minutes.

Shipp's hot shooting sparked UCLA to a 36-11 lead en route to their 23rd straight home victory.

Standout freshman Kevin Love led UCLA scorers with 19 points while Cameroonian forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had nine points and six rebounds.

Derrick Low scored 26 points and Kyle Weaver had 19 to lead ninth-ranked Washington State to an 86-74 victory over Boise State.

Low had two points at the half and the Cougars trailed, 32-26, but things heated up quickly after the break with Low hitting a 3-pointer just under four minutes into the second half to tie the game, 41-41, and ignite a 16-1 run.

No. 12 Michigan State wasted little time asserting its dominance in its season-opener.

The Spartans, whose exhibition season included a double-overtime loss to Division II Grand Valley State, scored 29 of the final 40 points of the first half and pulled away for an 86-53 victory over Chicago State in the first round of the CBE Classic.

Sophomore forward Raymar Morgan had career highs of 25 points and 15 rebounds for Michigan State, who have now won 30 of their last 31 season openers.

Freshman Austin Daye scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half as 14th-ranked Gonzaga pulled clear for an 80-43 win over Idaho, while another freshman, Deandre Jordan, teamed up with senior Joseph Jones to lead No. 15 Texas A&M to a 67-53 win over Oral-Roberts

Jordan scored 11 of his 12 points in the first half and Jones added 13 for the victyr in the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament.

With coach Lute Olsen on a leave of absence for personal reasons, No. 17 Arizona rallied behind standout sophomore to see off Northern Arizona 76-69.

Budinger scored 25 points while freshman Jerryd Bayless added 18.

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