Road Warriors: Gritty Orange Bests Virginia, 70-68

Wednesday, December 5

John Paul Jones Arena

7:30 p.m.

Syracuse University

Virginia

Freshman forward Donte' Greene posted his second double-double of the season in the win against the Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Road Warriors: Gritty Orange Bests Virginia, 70-68

12/5/2007 9:44:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Freshman forward Donte' Greene totaled 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds en route to his second double-double of the season in Syracuse's 70-68 road victory against ACC foe Virginia on Wednesday at John Paul Jones Arena. Sophomore forward Paul Harris collected his sixth double-double in eight games this season, and 13^th for his career, with 10 points and 14 rebounds, including a career-best 12 on the defensive end, in the win.

After the Cavaliers had rallied from a five-point deficit and took the lead following an unconventional three-point play from senior guard Sean Singletary at the 7:36 mark, the Orange responded to score nine of the game's next 11 points and take a five-point advantage at 66-61. Greene's highlight-reel one-handed dunk ignited the run that featured two long-range trifectas, one apiece from the freshman forward and junior sharpshooter Eric Devendorf. Greene's turnaround jump-hook with 63 seconds remaining pushed the Syracuse lead to three, 68-65.

Freshman point guard Jonny Flynn calmly sunk two free throws with 5.3 seconds remaining to seal the victory for the Orange. With the loss, Virginia suffers just its second setback in 22 tries at the John Paul Jones Arena, which opened prior to the 2006 season.

In a matchup against one of the nation's best in Singletary, SU's rookie court general tallied 18 points and dished three assists. Flynn shot a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe.

Devendorf poured in 16 points and matched a season-high with six assists. The Bay City, Mich., native scored in double-figures for the ninth straight time and 16^th out of the last 17 tries dating back to last season. Devendorf's 16-point effort improved his career total to 1,081, surpassing Vaughn Harper (1965-68) and Pete Chudy (1958-61) for sole possession of 46^th-place all-time on the Orange's scoring chart.

The Orange outrebounded the Cavaliers 25-19 in the second half and overcame a 36-29 halftime deficit. Syracuse shot a season-best 90 percent from the foul line, connecting on 10-of-11 attempts.

Greene's second triple of the contest to open the second half propelled the Orange on a 7-2 run, cutting the Virginia lead to three at 39-36. Junior center Arinze Onuaku's putback dunk and a Harris lay-in, on a nifty dish from Flynn, carried the Orange momentum into the first media timeout. Flynn's two free throws at the 14:19 mark of the second stanza handed SU its first lead in nearly 14 minutes. Devendorf's subsequent lay-in extended the Orange lead to three, forcing Virginia head coach Dave Leitao to burn a 30 second timeout.

Onuaku recorded four points and corralled eight rebounds.

The Orange raced out to a 15-8 lead early, capped off by a hoop-and-the-harm bucket from Devendorf. Syracuse shot a blistering 6-for-6 from the field before missing its first shot, a Flynn three-point try five minutes into the contest. Devendorf and Flynn ignited the Syracuse offense in the first half with nine and 10 points, respectively, shooting a combined 8-for-15 from the field. Flynn twice showcased his long-range abilities, while Devendorf muscled his way into the paint and converted several baskets among the Virginia trees.

Hall of Fame head coach Jim Boeheim, in his 32^nd season as the Orange mentor, saw his trademark 2-3 zone defense played to perfection in the first half. With limited opportunities to penetrate the interior of the Syracuse defense, the Cavaliers were forced to attempt 17 three-point field goals in the first 20 minutes of play. SU drew four offensive fouls in the first half, two forced by Onuaku.

The Syracuse half-court defense suffocated the Cavaliers' attack, which yielded just a 40 percent shooting clip from the field for the game. Virginia, who had won seven of its first eight games of the season, was shooting 46 percent from the field entering tonight's contest.

Singletary scored 10 points and fell just shy of a double-double with nine assists. Senior forward Adrian Joseph led the Cavaliers' offense with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

Syracuse (6-2) welcomes non-conference foe Rhode Island to the Carrier Dome on Saturday, December 8 at 7:00 p.m. The Orange's meeting with the Rams will mark its fourth game against an Atlantic 10 opponent this season. The game will be televised regionally on Time Warner 26, while the radio network broadcast, found on the Syracuse ISP flagship (99.5 FM), will be available on Orange All Access.

Tickets for Orange home games may be purchased on-line (click here), over the phone (1-888-DOMETIX), or in person at the Carrier Dome Box Office during normal business hours. Once again, fans will be able to receive their tickets immediately after their purchase, using the "Print At Home" delivery method. For additional information, fans can contact the Carrier Dome Box Office toll free (888-366-3849) or (315-443-2121).