Syracuse University
Rutgers (BIG EAST Tournament)
Orange Advance With 81-57 Victory
3/11/2005 12:21:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK, NY -- Junior guard Gerry McNamara and senior forward Hakim Warrick combined to score 48 points and led #16/17 Syracuse (25-6) past Rutgers (10-19) in the BIG EAST Conference Quarterfinals on Thursday night. The Orange will face Connecticut (22-6) in the second semifinal on Friday night at 9:00 p.m.
McNamara finshed with 25 points while Warrick had 23 points and 13 rebounds. Josh Pace added 12 points and six rebounds for the Orange. Quincy Douby led Rutgers with 14 points.
With Syracuse ahead 8-7, the Orange went on a 14-3 run, keyed by two McNamara three-pointers. The streak enabled SU to maintain a lead for the entire game. The 'Cuse closed out the first half with an 18-3 stretch that included seven points each from Warrick and McNamara. SU entered the intermission with a 47-22 lead and Warrick had 17 points.
Rutgers managed to trim a 27-point second-half deficit to 17, thanks to two threes from Douby and another by Marquis Webb. When SU stretched its lead to 64-41, the Scarlet Knights again responded, this time with eight unanswered points, but SU answered with back-to-back threes from McNamara.
Syracuse converted 28-of-57 (.491) from the field while holding Rutgers to 20-of-63 (.317). SU outscored the Scarlet Knights by nine from the free-throw line and outrebounded its foe by 43-32.
The matchup was the first BIG EAST Tournament pairing of Syracuse and Rutgers. SU already owned a January 24, 86-84 victory at Rutgers.
Warrick became the fifth SU player to score 2,000 career points, joining Lawrence Moten (2,334), Derrick Coleman (2,143), John Wallace (2,119) and Sherman Douglas (2,060). Warrick finished the night with 2,006. His 13 rebounds brought him closer to 1,000 in his career. He enters Friday night's game with 990.
The Orange have lost twice to Connecticut this season -- 74-66 on February 7 and 88-70 on March 5.
