Hakim Warrick claims he’s always had these moves.

He’s always used the spin move that leaves even the most nimble forward guarding thin air. He’s got an array of twists, turns and pivots that send defenders leaping toward the Carrier Dome ceiling while Warrick slides past.

Last night, Warrick displayed each one of his low-post maneuvers in front of 16,941, as Syracuse downed UNC-Greensboro, 92-65.

‘I’m doing a better job of being aggressive,’ Warrick said. ‘I’m making my shots now, quick spins, short turnarounds. I came in with it last year, and no one really saw it. I had to wait my turn last year. This year I get to showcase that stuff.’

Warrick’s teammates fared well, too. Warrick led four Orangemen in double figures with a career-high 23 points – 16 in the first half – and contributed to Syracuse’s most convincing and complete win of the season. Carmelo Anthony (22 points), Gerry McNamara (17 points) and Kueth Duany (11 points) also scored in double digits. Last night marked the first time Carmelo Anthony failed to lead SU in scoring.

It was also the second consecutive game Warrick dominated a physically inferior opponent. In wins over Greensboro and Cornell, Warrick shot a combined 19 of 27. But while he dominated on dunks against the Big Red, he used an assortment of low-post moves on the Spartans.

While Syracuse played well offensively throughout, the defense kicked in with 4:58 left in the first half. With the game tied, 32-32, the Orangemen went on a 10-0 run on their way to a 45-35 halftime lead.

During the final five minutes, the Orangemen (4-1) held the Spartans (3-4) to three points. SU also forced four turnovers, recorded three of its 12 steals and tallied eight points in transition during that span.

‘At certain points of the game we really got after it,’ McNamara said. ‘We always play good offensively. The key is defense. The defensive intensity wasn’t there the whole game, but at certain points we had that intensity.’

Warrick ignited the run by backing into the lane and elevating over the Spartans’ defense for a layup. Moments later, Jeremy McNeil converted one of SU’s four short-range transition baskets. Duany forced a timeout with another steal and breakaway slam at 3:50.

Warrick’s final contribution to the run came two possessions later as he backed down a Greensboro defender and quickly spun to his right, leaving his opponent gawking at his heels before finishing with a slam.

‘Offensively we have a chance to be very good,’ Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. ‘Four guys in double figures should be enough most nights. Our defense is going to decide how good we can be.’

Syracuse’s defense, which has been a constant complaint of Boeheim’s in the first four games, continued to fare well in the second half, holding the Spartans to 33 percent shooting, including 25 percent from three-point range.

Still, Boeheim, whose satisfaction before Big East play would constitute a 10th Wonder of the World, found fault with SU’s defense.

Carmelo Anthony allowed a pair of uncontested alley-oops to senior James Maye, who led Greensboro with 19 points. The Orangemen allowed the Spartans to shoot 56 percent in the first half.

‘If we had played poorly offensively, this game would have been down to the wire,’ Boeheim said. ‘The first half we played our zone, and they scored every possession. Then we switched to man, and they still scored. Our offense is good but, we still need to get better on the other end.’

Still, the Orangemen blew out Greensboro – whom Boeheim called a future NCAA tournament team – by 27 points.

They dominated in all aspects. They forced 20 turnovers while losing eight. They totaled nine more blocks and nine more rebounds than their overmatched opponents.

‘This is the best defensive game we played this year,’ Warrick said. ‘Offensively, we’ve played better but not against a strong a team as this. I’d say this was the most complete game this year.’

Published on December 13, 2002 at 12:00 pm