Syracuse 71, Louisiana Tech 69: Rakeem Christmas sank a jump hook with 2.8 seconds left, and Trevor Cooney made four 3-pointers among his 25 points as the host Orange snapped out of their slump from beyond the arc to turn back the Bulldogs.

Tyler Roberson recorded career highs with 14 points and 17 rebounds for Syracuse (6-3), which was 5-of-12 from 3-point range after entering the game shooting 21.1 percent - second-worst in the country. Christmas scored 13 points while battling foul trouble for the Orange, who have won 56 of their last 57 non-conference contests at home after their 55-game winning streak was halted in the previous contest - a 69-57 loss to St. John's on Dec. 6.

Alex Hamilton scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half for Louisiana Tech (6-3), which shot 29.4 percent from 3-point range but 54.3 percent from inside the arc. Raheem Appleby scored 20 points while Kenny Smith, the Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year, contributed nine assists but did not score.

Syracuse led by as many as nine in the first half before Appleby went 3-for-3 from 3-point range in the final seven minutes as part of a 15-point performance on 6-of-6 shooting prior to the break to cut the deficit to 32-21 at intermission. The Orange extended their lead to 43-34 on Roberson's dunk with 13:52 to play before the Bulldogs responded with five straight points, but Christmas made a pair of free throws and Cooney's 3-pointer restored the nine-point lead with 10:28 remaining.

Christmas went to the bench after picking up his fourth foul with 10:07 to go and Louisiana Tech went on a 7-2 run - capped by Appleby's steal and runaway dunk with 7:32 left to make it 54-50 before Cooney responded with five straight points - including his fourth 3-pointer. The Bulldogs chipped away at the deficit and Hamilton scored nine straight Louisiana Tech points - the last two with 26 seconds left to make it 69-69 - before Appleby's heave from halfcourt was short at the buzzer.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Bulldogs received a scare when Smith grabbed his right knee after getting tangled up with Syracuse's Chris McCullough while vying for a loose ball and left with 18:38 to play, but soon returned. ... Orange junior G Michael Gbinije did not play in the second half after suffering an apparent leg injury while McCullough (five points, six rebounds, three steals, three blocks) fouled out with 1:55 left . ... Louisiana Tech has been outrebounded in every game this season - 40-30 against Syracuse - and has a minus-6.9 differential.