Terrence Roberts ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in rebounding (8.1 rpg).
Orange and Bearcats Tangle on Wednesday
1/16/2007 10:26:44 AM | Men's Basketball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Orange men’s basketball team (14-4, 3-1) puts its three-game conference winning streak on the line when it hosts Cincinnati (9-7, 0-2) on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 7:00 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. SU is tied with Notre Dame for second place in the league standings, while the Bearcats are the only squad without a BIG EAST win. The game will be televised live on ESPN Regional and available in the Syracuse area on Time Warner 26. Live audio of the contest can be heard on suathletics.com via Orange All Access and fans can also tune in to the Syracuse Radio Network broadcast on WAQX (95.7 FM) and WNSS (1260 AM). Fans should also stay tuned for the Orange All Access postgame show, hosted by John Nicholson, immediately following the contest.
It’s been the SU defense that has keyed its winning streak. Syracuse has held its last four opponents to less than 40 percent shooting from the field and the Orange has limited its foes to 37.3 percent (425-1140) for the season. In its win at Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights shot less than 30 percent. It was the first time this season the Orange kept a team below 30 percent. Syracuse ranks 11th in the nation in field goal percentage defense. Coach Jim Boeheim’s squad is also averaging 7.7 blocks per game, the fourth-best mark in the nation. Syracuse has 138 blocks to just 47 by its opponents.
Senior Demetris Nichols went for 23 points in SU’s win versus Villanova on Saturday at the Dome. It was the first time in conference play this season he topped 20 points. Nichols went head-to-head with the Wildcats’ Curtis Sumpter who finished with 24 points. Nichols got more help than Sumpter though with three other starters in double figures, including senior Terrence Roberts. Roberts had his best game of the year, scoring a season-best 17 points and matching his career high with 14 boards. Roberts’ effort on the glass increased his rebounding average to 8.1 per game, fifth in the BIG EAST.
Cincinnati is off to a 9-7 overall start in its first season under Coach Mick Cronin and is still in search of its first conference victory. Cronin, a former assistant at Cincinnati and Louisville, spent the last three years as head coach at Murray State. He guided the Racers to a 69-24 record and two NCAA appearances.
Cronin has built his first roster at Cincinnati with six junior college players. Three of the newcomers -- forward John Williamson (13.4 ppg., 7.9 .rpg), forward Marcus Sikes (9.3 ppg., 5.9 rpg.) and guard Jamual Warren (9.1 ppg., 4.1 rpg.) -- have been regulars in the starting lineup. Freshman Deonta Vaughn (13.8 ppg.) has started 13-of-16 at guard and senior Cedric McGowan (9.6 ppg., 5.8 rpg.) has 16 starts.
Syracuse has a 2-1 lead in the series with Cincinnati. All three prior meetings were a season ago. Each squad won a regular season road game and SU began its march to the 2006 BIG EAST Tournament title with a dramatic, last-second triumph over the Bearcats in the opening round.
Wednesday’s game could also represent another milestone in the head coaching career of Orange Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim. Boeheim has 740 victories to his credit and a win against Cincinnati will move him into tie for 14th all-time with former Temple coach John Chaney (741).
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