BIG EAST Quarterfinal Tussle with Huskies
3/9/2006 10:47:22 AM | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK -- Gerry McNamara's three-point shot just prior to the buzzer gave Syracuse a BIG EAST Tournament opening triumph against Cincinnati, 74-73. The prize for winning - a third matchup with Connecticut - the nation's top-ranked squad.
The game will be televised by ESPN at noon. Fans can listen to the Syracuse ISP Radio broadcast on WAQX - 95.7 FM and WNSS - 1260 AM in Syracuse and through www.suathletics.com's Orange All Access. Coach Boeheim's postgame press conference will be available through Orange All Access, as well as game highlights and player interviews.
When the two teams met in Syracuse on Jan. 16, the Huskies were ranked 13th and emerged with an 88-80 victory. SU fell at Connecticut on Feb. 8, 73-50, when the Huskies were number one.
Syracuse is seeded ninth in the BIG EAST Tournament for the first time ever. Connecticut is seeded first in the Madison Square Garden affair.
Connecticut has five different players averaging double-digit scoring this season. Rudy Gay (15.4 ppg) leads the way, followed by Rashad Anderson (13.3 ppg), Josh Boone (10.7 ppg), Marcus Williams (10.4 ppg) and Denham Brown (10.0 ppg). The club's top rebounders are Josh Boone (7.1 rpg), Hilton Armstrong (6.6 rpg) and Rudy Gay (6.6 rpg). Williams, the Huskie point guard, is averaging 8.4 assists an outing. Anderson is the team's top outside threat with 75 three's.
The two squads met in the 2005 BIG EAST Tournament semifinal and the Orange emerged with a 67-63 victory on the way to the event's title.
Syracuse leads the overall series, 45-32. The two teams have split 56 BIG EAST Conference meetings. Connecticut has won 5-of-9 BIG EAST Tournament matchups with the 'Cuse.
