Syracuse Defeats Connecticut, 73-63, In Front of Largest On-Campus Crowd of 2006-07

Saturday, February 17

Carrier Dome

3:30 p.m.

Syracuse University

Connecticut

Paul Harris recorded double-doubles in both games against Connecticut this season.

Syracuse Defeats Connecticut, 73-63, In Front of Largest On-Campus Crowd of 2006-07

2/17/2007 6:20:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Coach Boeheim Quotes

SU Player Quotes

Syracuse, N.Y.- Syracuse (19-8, 8-5), behind four players in double-figures, defeated Connecticut (16-10, 5-7), 73-63. The Carrier Dome was full with 32,376 fans, the largest on-campus attendance in college basketball this season and the 63rd crowd of more than 30,000 in the history of the Loudhouse.

Demetris Nichols led the Orange with 20 points and moved into 36th place on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,192 career points. Paul Harris had 16 points and 11 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season and his second against Connecticut. Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins scored 15 and 13 points, respectively. The duo was a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line and each had a team-high three assists. Darryl Watkins tied his season-high with 13 rebounds to go along with five blocks.

Syracuse pulled down a season-best 55 rebounds and outrebounded Connecticut by 10, a far cry from the first time these two teams met this year when the Huskies had a 17-rebound advantage. The two teams shot an identical 21-of-65 from the field (32.3%). Connecticut is second in the nation in field goal percentage defense (32.6%) and Syracuse is sixth (37.8). Syracuse's biggest advantage came at the free throw line, where the Orange was 26-of-31(83.9%) and the Huskies were just 14-of-28 (50.0%)

Jerome Dyson made four three-pointers to lead Connecticut to a 16-9 lead in the first eight minutes of play. Syracuse committed five turnovers and was just 3-of-16 from the field to start the game.

Rautins and Devendorf led the Orange on a 9-2 run over the next three minutes. Rautins came up with a steal that he took all the way for a fastbreak layup and hit a three-pointer. Devendorf cut the lead to one when he slashed through the Huskies defense for a layup. After a free throw by A.J. Price, Devendorf hit a pull-up jumper to tie the game at 18 with just under eight minutes left in the half.

The score remained tight until the Orange went on a 9-0 run to take its biggest lead of the game, 31-24, at the 2:11 mark. Nichols made a triple and a jumper on consecutive possessions and Watkins contributed two foul shots. Dyson hit a free throw and his fifth three-pointer of the game to pull the Huskies within three, but Devendorf scored four points to keep the lead at seven. Stanley Robinson made a three-pointer at the buzzer and Connecticut was down by just three, 35-32, at halftime.

Harris paced the Orange with 11 first half points, including a 7-of-8 performance from the free throw line. Dyson finished the half with the five threes and 18 points. He was 5-for-11 from the field and the rest of the Connecticut lineup was only 3-for-20. Six of the Huskies' eight field goals were from beyond the three-point arc.

Nichols had a jumper and a fastbreak dunk to open the second half and stretch the Orange lead to seven, 39-32. After Connecticut cut the lead to three points, the Orange went on a 17-7 run, highlighted by back-to-back threes from Rautins and a fastbreak dunk by Harris. Connecticut missed seven shots and had two turnovers during that stretch and Syracuse was up by 13 points, 56-43, with less than 10 minutes to go in the game.

Syracuse was held without a field goal for the next four minutes as Connecticut went on a 12-3 run and was down by four points, 59-55. Nichols snapped the drought with a three-point play that started a 6-2 spurt that put the Orange ahead by eight, 65-57, at the 4:08 mark.

The Huskies managed just eight points in the last five minutes of the game, missing six shots, three free throws and committing three turnovers in that span. The Orange was 8-of-10 from the charity stripe in the final minute.

Syracuse has a week off before it takes the court next. The Orange plays at Providence on Saturday, February 24, at noon.