By BRENDAN McGAIR

Sports writer

PROVIDENCE – It was fun, for a half anyways. Then reality struck as the Providence Friars spent virtually the entire second half engulfed in a sea of Orange Tuesday night.
PC dialed up 10 threes in the opening 20 minutes, utilizing every speck of hardwood in the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. The largest crowd of the season (12,410) was brimming with confidence while the thousands of Orange supporters sat dumbfounded. Then came the second half, which saw Jim Boehiem’s crew reaffirm why it contains Big East and National Championship aspirations. 
The Orange made quick work of a 52-47 halftime deficit before pulling away to an eventual 99-85 final. PC, which saw its losing skid stretch to seven straight, actually went up eight (55-47) after Jamine Peterson drained a wing trey 20 seconds into second stanza, but it was all Syracuse thereafter. The Orange ripped off a 14-0 run as its offense featured a steady diet of junior Rick Jackson, who went off for a career-best 28 points, the same point total also shared by senior Andy Rautins.
Syracuse, now 26-2 on the season and 13-2 in the Big East, also turned up the pressure defensively after allowing PC to fire away at a 59 percent clip in the opening half. The Friars turned the ball over 11 times in the second half on their way to 16 for the game.
“They’ve got every dimension of the game you would like,” said PC head coach Keno Davis after his club bowed to the conference’s first place team for the second time in three weeks. Syracuse took that one by an 85-68 final at the Carrier Dome.
Peterson and Marshon Brooks each scored 23 points to lead the Friars. Freshman Vincent Council, who has been slowed by a hand injury, managed to give Davis 11 points in 29 points, though it was clear he was not his normal explosive self.
“The whole hand,” said Council when asked what part has been giving him the most trouble. He described what he had protecting the hand as “an invisible supporter.”
The first half resembled a NBA shootout as both teams shot over 50 percent while combining for 99 points. The Friars and Orange, however, traveled down polar opposite roads on their way to burning the bulbs in the scoreboard. Syracuse was a beehive of activity early, slicing through Providence’s defense for easy baskets down low and wide-open jumpers. That translated to a 24-11 lead on 10-of-14 shooting six minutes in.
Then it was the Friars’ turn to catch fire. PC started connecting from deep with several players taking part. The result was a bombardment of points that senior Brian McKenzie capped with (what else?) a 3-ball that broke a 38-38 score at 6:26.
“There’s no way to figure out college basketball,” offered Boehiem. “It’s a crazy game.”
The zaniness continued right up until the halftime horn sounded. Brooks canned a three with 32 seconds left in the half to put PC up 52-44, but Rautins banged home a 3-pointer with four seconds remaining. That actually proved to be a harbinger of things to come as Rautins threw in five shots from downtown in the latter 20 minutes on his way to eight for the night.
“They have different options, from shooters to guys down on the post,” said Council.
The game was a familiar one for Providence and its fans. After staying close for a prolonged stretch, the Friars were virtually powerless to stop the Orange from imposing their will at the game’s most critical juncture. PC managed to score only eight points in the opening 10 minutes, though recovered enough to move within 11 points on a couple of occasions.
Syracuse, however, would not allow PC to draw any closer. An 11-2 run proved to be the knockout punch with the Orange on top, 96-77, with three minutes remaining. 
“They seemed to score every time and that’s when the score seemed to go up,” said Friars senior Sharaud Curry, who registered 11 points. 
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Kyle Wright, a junior from Hartford, has decided to leave the Providence men’s basketball team. Whispers were that the 22-year-old mainly based his decision on academics. A double major in business management and sociology, Wright had no choice but to take on a greater academic load after transferring in from Monroe (N.Y.) Community College. He plans on remaining at Providence to finish his degree requirements.
Lauded as a strong shooter, Wright struggled to find the range, connecting at a 37 percent clip. He averaged 2.8 points in 9.6 minutes while sitting out just one of PC’s 26 contests. Ironically the lone game he didn’t receive minutes was Feb. 2 at Syracuse.
Wright’s farewell opens up a scholarship for Davis and his staff to work with for next season. Currently the Friars have three players under wraps for 2010-11.
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RIM RATTLERS: Twelve NBA scouts were accounted for at The Dunk Tuesday. The list included former Celtics general manager Chris Wallace, who currently is holding the same title with the Memphis Grizzlies. … Spotted courtside was former Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown and current New England assistant coach Pepper Johnson. … Former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese was presented an honorary degree by school president Rev. Brian Shanley during a timeout in the first half. … The Orange are now 11-0 in games in games away from the