Orange Tips Off Conference Play Versus Nationally-Ranked Pitt

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Orange (11-3) tips off its 28^th BIG EAST campaign Thursday, Jan. 4 at 7:00 p.m. against #10/10 Pittsburgh at the Carrier Dome. Syracuse has played the Panthers in its conference opener three times and it is 2-1 in those games, including a victory in 1982-83 in Pittsburgh’s first game as a member of the league. Tickets for Thursday's affair can be purchased on suathletics.com by clicking here or by calling the Carrier Dome Box Office at 1-888-DOMETIX. It will also be televised live nationally on ESPN. Dave O'Brien and former Utah coach Rick Majerus will call the action. Stacey Dales will provide sideline reports. Live audio of game will be available on suathletics.com via Orange All Access. Fans should also stay tuned for the Orange All Access post-game show, hosted by John Nicholson, following the contest.

Syracuse is the winningest program in the history of the conference with 281 regular-season wins to its credit. Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim owns the most BIG EAST wins (regular season and tournament) of any coach in conference history with 322.

The Orange finished its non-conference schedule with a pair of victories including an 82-70 victory against St. Bonaventure on Dec. 30 to close out its non-league slate. Senior Darryl Watkins had one of the best games of his career versus the Bonnies, scoring a personal-best 18 points. He also tied his career best with seven made field goals and added five blocks. Watkins has been a force of late, averaging 12.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.3 blocked shots in SU’s last four games.

Senior Demetris Nichols tallied 22 points versus St. Bonaventure and maintained his perch atop the BIG EAST scoring list (19.8 ppg). He also grabbed 10 rebounds to post his first double-double of the season. Nichols is rapidly approaching 1,000 points for his career. He has 958 points. Syracuse has 47 1,000-point scorers in its history, the sixth-most in the NCAA entering this season.

The Panthers rebounded from consecutive losses to Wisconsin and Oklahoma State with blowout wins against Dayton on Dec. 23 and Florida A&M and owns a 12-2 record entering conference play. Pittsburgh was ranked as high as No. 2 in the national polls earlier this season.

Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year Aaron Gray is averaging a double-double at 15.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per contest for the Panthers. He leads the conference and ranks sixth in the nation in rebounding. Gray is second in the BIG EAST in both offensive and defensive boards.

Gray gets scoring help from Mike Cook who is second on the club in points per game (12.1) and Antonio Graves who is also in double figures at 10.7 ppg.

Defense has been a staple of Coach Jamie Dixon’s Pittsburgh clubs and this year has been no different. The Panthers have held their last two foes to fewer than 60 points and has held seven opponents to less than 60 points in 2006-07. In its two losses, however, the Panthers surrendered 89 and 95 points, respectively. Subtract those two outings and Pittsburgh is giving up 58.8 points per game.

The Orange enters the contest averaging 78.9 points per game, the fifth-best mark in the conference. Syracuse has topped the 80-point barrier in three of its last four outings.

SU leads the all-time series with the Panthers, 61-33, and is 34-11 against Pittsburgh at home. The Panthers have held the edge lately in games played in Syracuse, winning the last two. The Orange’s last home win in the series was on Feb. 1, 2003 by the score of 67-65. Syracuse claimed the most recent meeting between the two clubs on March 11, 2006 in BIG EAST Tournament title game, 65-61, to win its second consecutive league crown.

Syracuse is 20-7 all-time in conference starters and hasn’t lost its opening BIG EAST game since 1998-99 at West Virginia.

Syracuse University Athletics

Orange Tips Off Conference Play Versus Nationally-Ranked Pitt

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