Box Score
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- National Player of the Year candidate Gerry McNamara scored a game-high 30 points to lift Syracuse (18-8, 6-6 BIG EAST) to a 79-66 victory against Louisville (16-9, 4-8 BIG EAST) at the Carrier Dome. The game was played in front of 31,190 spectators - the nation's largest crowd to gather for a college basketball game this season.Â
It was McNamara's second 30-point effort of the season and fourth of his career. He tallied 38 points earlier this year against Davidson. He also moved into sixth place on the Orange's all-time scoring list (1,969 points), ahead of Stephen Thompson who recorded 1,956 career points from 1986-90. McNamara hit 10-of-16 shots from the field, 4-of-9 from three-point range, and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. He also had six rebounds, five assists and four steals.
The Orange took control of the contest at the start of the second half. After trailing 36-35 at halftime, SU came out of the lockerroom to outscore the Cardinals, 20-4, during the period's first six minutes. McNamara and freshman guard Eric Devendorf accounted for 18 of those 20 points. They each scored nine. Devendorf finished the game with 14 points and four assists.Â
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With 14:23 remaining in the game, Syracuse held a 55-40 lead.
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Louisville committed 17 second-half fouls and never got closer than 10 points the rest of the way. SU junior guard Louie McCroskey's 3-pointer with 7:33 remaining gave the Orange its largest lead of the night, 68-51.Â
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A total of 59 fouls were called in the game. Syracuse attempted 46 free throws and only made 19, shooting 41.3 percent from the charity stripe on the night. The upside was that the Orange defense limited the Cardinals to just 16-of-53 shooting from the field (30.2 percent).
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Taquan Dean paced Louisville with 21 points , six rebounds and five steals. David Padgett added 11 points and six rebounds before fouling out.Â
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Matt Gorman and Josh Wright came off the bench to supply seven points apiece to the Syracuse cause. Terrence Roberts pulled down a game-high eight rebounds. He also chipped in with four assists, including a pretty behind-the-back pass to Devendorf in the first half which gave SU a 24-16 lead.
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The Orange went ahead by eight again, 27-19, when McNamara hit his first three pointer of the night at the 8:19 mark. His second three with 6:28 remaining in the first half moved him into second place on the BIG EAST Conference's all-time three-point field goals list, surpassing Villanonova's Gary Buchanan (1999-03). He is now nine away from catching league leader Steve Edwards, who pumped in 178 three's for Miami between 1992 and 1996. Among NCAA Division I career three-point leaders, McNamara is tied for eighth all-time with 371.
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Syracuse led 30-23, but Louisville went on a 10-0 run to take a 33-30 advantage with 3:32 left in the half. Cardinal rookie guard Andre McGee scored the final basket of the half, a three-pointer, with 1:28 remaining to give Louisville a 36-35 halftime edge.
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Coach Jim Boeheim's team remains at home for another nationally-televised game on Monday, Feb. 20, against West Virginia. ESPN will broadcast the contest beginning at 7 p.m.
