Syracuse University
Boston College
Boeheim Ties Wooden; SU Beats Boston College, 96-73
1/10/2004 5:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Coach Boeheim Quotes
Syracuse Player Quotes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse head coach #Jim Boeheim# earned his 664th career victory as the #17/19 Orangemen (11-1, 2-0) defeated the Boston College Eagles (11-3, 1-1), 96-73, on Saturday at the Carrier Dome.
Boeheim tied legendary UCLA court boss John Wooden for 19th on the NCAA Divsion I all-time wins list. Wooden won 664 games in 29 years as a head coach at Indiana State (1947-48) and UCLA (1949-75). Boeheim is nine wins behind Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is currently 18th on the list.
Sophomore #Gerry McNamara# paced SU with 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including six threes. McNamara also added seven assists and three steals. Junior #Hakim Warrick# contributed 19 points and five rebounds. Sophomore #Billy Edelin# notched 17 points for the Orange.
With the score tied 19-19 in the first half, the Syracuse defense took control of the game by holding the Eagles scoreless for next 7:09. The Orangemen scored 21 points during that stretch and opened up a 40-19 advantage with 3:15 left in the half. Warrick had 10 points in the scoring explosion, including six straight. Two free throws by the Eagles' Steve Hailey snapped the drought, but SU took a 20-point edge into the lockerroom, 49-29. Syracuse made 19 of its 27 field goal attempts in the period (70.4 percent), its best shooting half of the season.
The Eagles wouldn't go away and opened the second frame with a 15-4 run to cut SU's lead to 11, 55-44, at 15:03. A jumper by BC's Craig Smith had the Eagles within six, 56-50. Warrick scored five consecutive Orange points to stretch the lead to 11 with 11:24 to play. With SU ahead by 12 at the 7:48 mark, McNamara scored 11 of the Orangemen's next 14 points, including three triples to push the margin back to 21 at 4:29 and Syracuse cruised the rest of the way for the 23-point win.
Smith led all scorers with 27 points. He also chipped in nine rebounds and two blocks. Jared Dudley and Sean Marshall each scored 15 points for the Eagles and Dudley was perfect from the line, connecting on all 11 of his free-throw attempts.
The win was the 11 straight for the Orange, tying its longest win streak since it opened the 1999-00 campaign with 19 consecutive victories. SU won 11 contests in a row last season before losing to Pittsburgh on Jan. 18, 2003.
The Orangemen outscored the Eagles 52-34 in the paint and held a slight advantage in the rebound column, 35-32.
SU will play the first of three straight road games when it travels to arv/arv Missouri on Monday, Jan. 12. The game will tip off at 9:00 Eastern time and be televised on ESPN.
