BIG EAST CHAMPIONS!!!

Saturday, March 12

New York, NY

8 p.m.

Syracuse University

West Virginia (BIG EAST Tournament)

Hakim Warrick averaged 23.0 points and 11.7 rebounds en route to the David Gavitt Trophy.

3/12/2005 10:42:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

NEW YORK, N.Y. – BIG EAST Player of the Year Hakim Warrick registered his third straight double-double to lead the Syracuse men's basketball (27-6) team to its first conference tournament championship since 1992 with a 68-59 victory against West Virginia (21-10) on Saturday, March 12. Warrick, the tournament's most outstanding player, had 20 points and 13 boards in the win against the Mountaineeers.

Warrick became the first Orange player since Sherman Douglas in 1988 to win the David Gavitt Trophy as the tournament's top player. Warrick averaged 23.0 points and 11.7 rebounds in SU's three wins. Warrick is the 11^th player in league history to earn the regular-season player of the year award and earn top honors in the postseason. He is the first since UConn's Caron Butler in 2002.

Warrick was one of three Orange players in double figures against WVU. Gerry McNamara scored 16 points, while Josh Pace added 13 points and seven boards. McNamara hit three three-pointers to break his own SU single-season record with 106 triples. Both Pace and McNamara scored in double figures in all three tournament games.

Terrence Roberts scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds. Darryl Watkins netted just two points, but snared seven boards. Warrick, Roberts, Pace and Watkins combined for 34 rebounds as the Orange held a 41-25 edge on the glass. Syracuse outscored West Virginia in the paint, 38-16.

Tyrone Sally led the Mountaineers with 13 points. Joe Herber and Mike Gansey each had 11. Kevin Pittsnogle, who entered the game averaging more than 19 points per game in tournament action, was held to just two points.

The Syracuse defense held WVU to just 36 percent shooting (19-for-53), including a 27 percent accuracy rate in the second half (7-for-26). The Orange shot 49 percent (24-for-49) for the contest.

Pace (10), Warrick (10) and McNamara (8) combined for 28 of the Orange's 41 points in the first half. After falling behind early, 5-2, the Orange used an 8-0 run to take a 10-5 lead on a pair of free throws by Warrick. WVU's Frank Young hit a three-pointer with 14:33 left to bring the Mountaineers to within 13-11. Syracuse maintained an advantage until the 5:47 mark when Herber knocked down a three-pointer to tie the score at 23-23. After Pace and Herber traded baskets to make the score 25-25, sophomore Louie McCroskey scored to put the Orange ahead 27-25 and ignite a 16-6 run to end the half. Demetris Nichols had five points during the run, including a three-pointer. Syracuse led 41-31 at intermission.

Pittsnogle scored the first points of the second half, and his only points of the game, to cut the SU lead to 41-33. The Orange scored the next 10 points of the game, taking an 18-point lead at 51-33 with 16:12 left on an old-fashioned three-point play by Warrick. The Mountaineers wouldn't go away, however, outscoring the Orange, 17-4, during the next eight minutes to get within 55-50 with 8:19 left. Herber hit two threes to key the run, while the Mountaineers' defense limited the Orange to only one field goal in that span.

Syracuse's veteran leadership took control as Syracuse was able to go on a 13-3 run of its own to take a 68-53 lead with less than a minute remaining. McNamara provided the dagger with his third three of the game with 52 seconds left on the game clock. In the deciding run, McNamara hit two threes, Pace tapped in an offensive rebound and Warrick hit three free throws. Watkins provided the other two points with a putback. WVU's Patrick Bielein hit a three-pointer and the Mountaineers connected on three free throws to set the final score at 68-59.

The tournament championship was SU's fourth in the 26-year history of the BIG EAST. The Orange ranks third behind Georgetown and Connecticut (six) on the all-time tournament title list. All four of SU's championships have come under the direction of Jim Boeheim, who won his 703^rd career game.

Syracuse earned the BIG EAST's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. SU will learn its NCAA opponent and destination when the brackets are announced at 6 p.m. on Sunday.