Top 25 roundup: No. 2 Syracuse struggles to slip past Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim preferred to look on the bright side despite all his team's problems.

Senior leaders Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph struggled. The Orange missed shot after shot.

Only C.J. Fair had an answer against with Louisville, which was poised for an upset.

"Our defense was getting crucial stops when we needed them," Fair said. "And, defense wins games."

Championships, too.

Fair scored 13 points and No. 2 Syracuse scored the final six points of the game to beat the 19th-ranked Cardinals 52-51 on Monday night, snapping a seven-game losing streak against Louisville in a game that reminded Boeheim of the NCAA Tournament.

"You're going to get in games like this in the tournament. I don't care who you are. You've got to be ready to be able to make those plays at the end of games," Boeheim said. "If they make a play, hit one shot, the end, we lose. In the tournament, you go home and you're going to play teams like Louisville and teams just as good or better."

Syracuse (26-1, 13-1) is on a roll toward a Big East title and hopes to play for a national championship in April. The Orange proved in this one they could grind out a possession-by-possession battle.

"You can either give the defenses credit or say it was a bad offensive game," Boeheim said. "We're going to look on the bright side and say it was a real defensive struggle tonight."

Louisville (20-6, 8-5) rallied with a 15-2 run to take a 51-46 lead, but the Orange held the Cardinals without a point over the final 31/2 minutes and Fair hit the go-ahead layup with 2:11 left.

"It was a defensive battle and they came up with the plays at the end," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "I'm very, very disappointed that we lost the game."

Freshman Chane Behanan had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Cardinals.

No. 4 KANSAS 59, KANSAS STATE 53: At Manhattan, Kan., Tyshawn Taylor had 20 points in a virtuoso performance for No. 4 Kansas, which fended off a stiff test from Kansas State for a victory that put the Jayhawks alone in first place in the Big 12.

Jeff Withey added 18 points and 11 rebounds in another impressive performance, helping make up for an off game by Thomas Robinson and allow the Jayhawks (21-5, 11-2) to win for the 36th time in their last 39 games against the Interstate 70 rival.