Syracuse overwhelms Vermont 79-56

Five years ago Vermont shocked Syracuse in overtime in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Catamounts never had a chance to duplicate that amazing moment.

Wes Johnson had 18 points to lead five Syracuse players in double figures, and the top-seeded Orange beat Vermont 79-56 on Friday night in the first round of NCAA tournament.

The Syracuse zone defense clamped down at the outset and allowed few openings, and the Orange rolled up a 20-2 run to take command early.

"Going to practice, that was our emphasis, to focus on the defensive end, get out and play defense like we did at the beginning of the year," Johnson said. "I think …