SU in Action Again Monday Versus Villanova
2/22/2004 5:06:01 PM | Men's Basketball
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
SYRACUSE -- The #arv/24 Syracuse men’s basketball team (17-6, 7-5) returns home after its dramatic win versus Georgetown to host Villanova (14-11, 6-6) in a BIG EAST conference encounter on Monday, Feb. 23 at 7:00 p.m.
The first 1,250 fans tonight will receive a coupon for a free Hoffman hot dog.
Sophomore Gerry McNamara’s game-winning three-pointer against the Hoyas on Saturday, Feb. 21 moved SU into a tie for fourth in the BIG EAST Conference standings with Seton Hall at 7-5. The top four teams in the league will get byes in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament in March.
McNamara is first in the league in three-point field goals made with 76 in 2003-04. His four treys against Georgetown moved him into fifth all-time at SU with 161, passing former Orange sharpshooter Matt Roe. McNamara is also the BIG EAST’s best free-throw shooter in conference games, having made 30-of-33 in league contests (.909).
Junior Hakim Warrick was the Orangemen’s top scorer at Georgetown with 19 points. He is averaging 19.9 points per game this season, second in the conference to Bryant Matthews of Virginia Tech who owns a scoring average of 22.6. Warrick had a season-high six dunks versus the Hoyas.
Orange freshman Louie McCroskey tallied a career-best 10 points against Georgetown and is averaging 8.5 points in the last two games, 4.5 points better than his season average of 4.0.
Syracuse blocked 12 shots against the Hoyas. The Orange defense is averaging 7.04 blocks per game, which ranks third in Division I. Syracuse has two performers in the top 11 in the BIG EAST in blocked shots. Junior Craig Forth ranks fifth with 2.3 rejections per outing and senior Jeremy McNeil is 11th, averaging 1.36 swats per contest.
Villanova has lost three of its last four games. Its only win during that span was an 80-68 triumph against Virginia Tech on Feb. 18. Allan Ray is the Wildcats top scorer, averaging 17.5 points per game, which ranks ninth in the BIG EAST. Three other starters, Curtis Sumpter (15.5), Randy Foye (14.1), and Mike Nardi (10.9) are averaging double-digit points this season. Sumpter and Jason Fraser are the team’s leading rebounders at 7.3 boards per outing.
Ray and Sumpter have each topped the 35-point plateau this year. Ray netted 38 points versus Redlands on Nov. 22, while Sumpter scored 39 in the Wildcats' win against Northeastern on Dec. 12.
Wildcats’ head coach Jay Wright is in his third year at the helm of the Villanova basketball program. He is 2-0 against Syracuse at Villanova and 2-1 against the Orange all-time.
Villanova will be making its first trip to the Carrier Dome in four years. The last time the Wildcats came to Syracuse the Orange prevailed 91-63 on Feb. 23, 2000. Preston Shumpert and DeShaun Williams paced SU with 15 points each in that pairing.
Syracuse leads the all-time series 30-23 and holds a slim 11-9 margin in games contested at SU. The Orange won six consecutive meetings from 1985-87, however, the Wildcats have won the last two, defeating SU 67-61 on Feb. 28, 2002 and 78-64 in the first-round of the 2002 BIG EAST Tournament.
Monday night’s game will televised live on ESPN. Syracuse alum Sean McDonough will handle the play-by-play duties and Bill Raftery and Jay Bilas will provide color analysis.
Fans can also listen to the game on the SU Radio Network with the “Voice of the Orange” Mark Johnson and color analyst Matt Park. The pre-game show will begin 60 minutes prior to tip off on 1260 AM with the rest of the network joining the broadcast 30 minutes before game time. Fans can also hear the contest live via the Internet at www.suathletics.com
Tickets for Tuesday’s game are available at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B), by telephone (1-888-DOMETIX) or on the Internet at www.dometix.com
