Orange Has Huge Second Half To Upset #9/10 Georgetown, 72-58

Monday, February 26

Carrier Dome

7:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Georgetown

Demetris Nichols scored 15 points during the second half when the Orange took over

Orange Has Huge Second Half To Upset #9/10 Georgetown, 72-58

2/26/2007 9:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Coach Boeheim Quotes

SU Player Quotes

Syracuse, N.Y.- A surge late in the second half pushed ARV/ARV Syracuse (21-8, 10-5) to a victory against #9/10 Georgetown (22-6, 12-3), 72-58. Syracuse outscored Georgetown 29-15 in the final 10 minutes of the game, holding the Hoyas to just one field goal during that stretch. The win is the fifth-straight for the Orange and snapped the Hoyas 11-game winning streak.

On Senior Night, the Orange upperclassmen led the way. Demetris Nichols led all scorers with 22 points and had four steals. It marked the 16th time this season that Nichols has eclipsed 20 points in a game. Darryl Watkins and Terrence Roberts combined for 15 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks.

Eric Devendorf recorded his first double-double of the season with 11 points and a career-high 11 assists, the most by an SU player since Gerry McNamara had 13 against Connecticut in the BIG EAST Tournament last season. Andy Rautins made four three-pointers en route to 13 points, his fourth-straight double-digit effort. Paul Harris added 11 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Georgetown, who entered the game second in the nation in field goal percentage, shot just 29.8% for the game (17-57), including a 6-for-30 effort in the second half. Georgetown's previous previosu shooting low came in a win against Hartford in its season opener, when the Hoyas shot 41.5%. DaJuan Summers and Patrick Ewing, Jr. were the only Hoyas in double-figures with 10 points apiece. Syracuse is the third team to score more than 70 points against the Hoyas, joining Old Dominion (75) and Pittsburgh (74).

Nichols and Summers each had five points as the Orange took an 8-7 lead in the first four minutes. Jeff Green, the reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week, hit a three-pointer from the right side to give the Hoyas their first lead of the game, 10-8.

A fastbreak dunk and a pair of layups by Roy Hibbert gave the Hoyas a 16-11 advantage. Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf then led the Orange on a 9-5 run to pull within a point, 21-20. Harris scored five points during the stretch and Devendorf had the other four. Two quick buckets put Georgetown back up by five with five minutes to go in the half.

Devendorf kept a hot hand, scoring five points in a 12-1 Syracuse run that gave the Orange back the lead, 32-26. Syracuse forced four turnovers in a span of five Georgetown possessions and held the Hoyas without a field goal for nearly five minutes.

Jeremiah Rivers hit a three-pointer in the final minute and the Hoyas trailed by three at halftime, 32-29. Syracuse was 9-of-16 to close out the opening period.

Georgetown tied the game at 34 within the first minute of the second half, but the Orange went right back ahead with a layup by Devendorf and a three-pointer by Andy Rautins. After three minutes with no points scored, Georgetown head coach John Thompson, III was called for a technical foul for arguing an offensive foul call on the Hoyas. Nichols calmly made both free throws and the Orange lead was up to six points, 41-35, with 14:05 remaining.

Harris was whistled for an over the back foul and then assessed a technical foul of his own. Jonathan Wallace made both of those free throws and sparked a 9-2 Georgetown run to reclaim the lead, 44-43. The Hoyas made seven-consecutive shots from the foul line during the run.

A pair of foul shots and a fastbreak layup by Harris and the Orange were back on top, 47-44. That started an 18-2 Syracuse run as Rautins and Nichols each hit a pair of three-pointers to put the Orange up big, 61-46, with just under six minutes to go in the game.

Another triple and two more free throws from Nichols put the Orange ahead, 66-50, with less than two minutes on the clock. Syracuse was 6-of-10 from from beyond the arc in the second half, a opposed to just 3-of-16 for Georgetown. The Hoyas managed a three with 25 seconds left to snap a 10 minute drought without a field goal.

Syracuse closes out the regular season on Saturday at Villanova. Tip is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN.