Piscataway, N.J. ? Victory No. 696 for Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim wasn’t like many of the others.

The fourth-ranked Orange had to rally from an 18-point halftime deficit and then watch a final shot by Rutgers roll around and out at the buzzer before posting an 86-84 victory Monday night.

“It was a great finish, a great comeback, one of the best I have been a part of,” Boeheim said. “There is no doubt at halftime this was looking like a 25-point game the wrong way.”

Terrence Roberts’ three-point play with 7.2 seconds left capped the comeback, but the victory wasn’t secure until Quincy Douby’s three-point shot with just over a second left spun around the rim and fell off, leaving the sellout crowd in silence.

It was the 13th consecutive win for Syracuse (20-1 overall, 7-0 Big East Conference), which is the first Division One team to reach 20 victories this season.

“If we would have lost that game on the last play, I would have been upset with myself because I don’t feel I communicated the message well,” Boeheim said.

The win gave him 20 victories for the 27th time in his 29 seasons at his alma mater. Boeheim moved into a tie with Texas Tech’s Bob Knight for second place among coaches with 20-win seasons, three behind former North Carolina coach Dean Smith.

None of that mattered after the game that would have been Rutgers’ biggest victory ever. The highest-ranked team the Scarlet Knights have beaten was No. 6 West Virginia in February 1982.

Rutgers' Dan Waterstradt, left, reaches for a rebound in front of Syracuse's Gerry McNamara in the second half of Syracuse's 86-84 victory. The Orange rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit to win Monday in Piscataway, N.J.

“If we would have come out with that win, it would have given them their second loss of the season and boosted our confidence,” Douby said.

Gerry McNamara and Hakim Warrick each had 21 points for Syracuse.

Ricky Shields had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Rutgers (7-9, 1-5), which has lost six of seven.

No. 25 Utah 63, Air Force 51

Salt Lake City — Andrew Bogut scored 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting to lift Utah over Air Force. Utah (17-3, 5-0 Mountain West Conference) entered the Top 25 on Monday for the first time since being ranked for two weeks in 2002-03. The Utes, playing under first-year coach Ray Giacoletti, have won 12 straight since losing Dec. 11 at Arizona.

Bryant Markson and Mark Jackson each scored 11 points, and Jackson tied a career-high with 10 assists for the Utes, who shot a school-record 80 percent from the field (24-of-30) against the nation’s No. 1 defense.

Utah’s previous best shooting game was 73.7 percent against Air Force in 1987.