SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Elijah Hughes scored 19 points and matched his career high with nine assists, Buddy Boeheim added 15 points, and Syracuse beat Niagara 71-57 on Saturday night.

Syracuse (8-5) ended its nonconference slate on a three-game winning streak.

Niagara (2-9) has lost four straight under rookie coach Greg Paulus, a former Duke point guard.

Freshman guard Nick MacDonald had a season-high 11 points to lead Niagara, while Greg Kuakumensah had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Syracuse scored the first 10 points of the game and built a 16-point lead just over 6 minutes in on a three-point play by Hughes that gave the Orange a 20-4 lead.

The Orange went scoreless for nearly 5 minutes and Niagara closed to 26-16 on a follow by Kuakumensah with 7:19 left in the first half.

Robert Braswell then hit a pair of 3-pointers and Boeheim added another to boost the lead back to 15 as the Orange led 41-28 at the break.

Boeheim hit a pair of 3s to key a 10-4 spurt at the start of the second half and a jumper by Hughes boosted the lead to 49-30.

The Orange gave Niagara a chance to get back in it, going just over 8 minutes without a field goal. Hughes ended the drought with a pull-up jumper in the lane that gave Syracuse a 61-47 lead with 5:36 left.

FAST START

Boeheim started Syracuse's early surge with a 3-pointer just 18 seconds into the game and ended it it with another. Hughes followed with eight points in a 2-minute span to give the Orange a big early lead. Hughes, working more at point guard, had seven assists in the first half.

UP NEXT

Syracuse hosts Notre Dame next Saturday afternoon as it resumes Atlantic Coast Conference play.