Scoop Jardine led the way with 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists as No. 7 Syracuse clamped down on defense at the end and held off North Carolina State 65-59 Saturday.

Rick Jackson chipped in 16 points and eight boards for the Orange, who shot 2 for 16 from beyond the arc and 39 percent from the floor.

Syracuse (8-0) led 38-34 at the half but watched that tiny edge evaporate quickly after the break. The Wolfpack scored the first eight points of the second half to take the lead and stretched it to as much as 51-45 when Scott Wood nailed a 3-pointer with 12:19 left.

The Orange battle back over the next five minutes, grabbing the lead again on Jackson’s layup with 7:35 to play and taking it for good when Jackson hit a jumper less than a minute later. Both teams struggled down the stretch, with N.C. State (4-3) missing 10 consecutive field goal attempts and turning it over nine times in the final nine minutes.

Syracuse has the biggest test of its non-conference slate Tuesday when it hosts No. 6 Michigan State.