Kristof Ongenaet is averaing 6.0 points and 8.5 rebounds as a starter.
Cat Scratch Fever: SU-Villanova II Saturday in Philly
2/1/2008 9:56:45 AM | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Fresh of its first BIG EAST road win of the year, Syracuse (15-7, 5-4) goes for its second straight triumph away from the Carrier Dome when it takes on Villanova (13-6, 3-5) at the Wachovia Center on Saturday, Feb. 2. The meeting is the second between the two schools this year. The Wildcats got the better of SU in the first matchup, 81-71, on Jan. 19, but has lost its last three.
Saturday’s game tips off at 12 p.m. Voice of the Orange Matt Park will have the call on the Syracuse ISP Network’s flagship (TK-99.5 FM) with the pre-game show beginning an hour before tipoff. The radio network broadcast is available live on Orange All-Access. In addition, the game will be televised live on ESPN and also broadcast on Westwood One Radio.
The Orange Friendzy, co-sponsored by the Office of Alumni Relations and the Syracuse University Alumni Club of Philadelphia, will be held at McFadden’s, located within Citizens Bank Park, on the corner of Citizens Bank Park Way and Pattison Avenue. Citizens Bank Park is the ballpark where the Philadelphia Phillies play and is located across the street from the Wachovia Center. Click here for a map showing where McFadden’s is located. The Orange Friendzy will run from 10:00 a.m. until 12 p.m. Snacks and giveaways will be available (while supplies last).
Staff from the Office of Alumni Relations and members of the Syracuse University Alumni Club of Philadelphia will be on hand to greet you.
The Orange has won its last two games, including scratching out a 60-55 win on Wednesday at DePaul. Using only seven players, Syracuse outlasted the Blue Demons by riding center Arinze Onuaku’s (Lanham, Md.) hot hand. Onuaku connected on 10-of-13 field goal attempts and finished with 22 points, one short of his career high. He also had nine rebounds.
Free-throw shooting also played a pivotal role in deciding the contest. Syracuse hit 15-of-19 free throws (.789), including making 4-of-5 in the final 30 seconds to seal the victory. DePaul, by comparison, went to the charity stripe just four times in the entire game.
Because of its limited roster, all five Orange starters played at least 34 minutes. Freshman guard Jonny Flynn (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) never left the floor. It was the third straight game he has played every minute. Junior college transfer Kristof Ongenaet (Ghent, Belgium) saw the court for a career-best 34 minutes. He had six points and nine rebounds and is averaging 6.0 points and 8.5 boards in his two games as a starter.
Wednesday’s victory was another milestone in the legendary career of Orange head coach Jim Boeheim. It was the 765th of the Hall-of-Fame coach’s tenure, moving him past coaching legend Henry Iba and into a tie with Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun for 10th on the all-time Division I coaching wins list.
More importantly, the win vaulted the Orange over the .500 mark in conference play as teams begin jockeying for position in the upcoming BIG EAST Championship.
Villanova is a struggling team that is looking to claw its way back to .500 in the conference. Five of its six losses this year have come against BIG EAST competition, and the Wildcats enter Saturday’s game 3-5 in the league. Since beating the Orange, Villanova has to Rutgers, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh.
Scottie Reynolds leads the squad in scoring (17.6 ppg) and tallied 25 points in the Jan. 19 meeting at the Dome. Corey Fisher (11.0 ppg) and Dante Cunningham (10.0 ppg) are also averaging double figures. Cunningham is the team’s leading rebounder at 6.9 per outing.
Villanova has won the last two pairing between the two clubs and three of the last four.
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