Donte Greene is third in the BIG EAST in scorng at 17.9 points per game.
Opportunity Knocks: Orange Hosts #8/8 Georgetown in Saturday Matinee
2/15/2008 8:59:07 AM | Men's Basketball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – With six regular-season games left, including four against teams ranked in this week’s national polls, the Orange (16-9, 6-6) has a chance to bolster its NCAA Tournament resume with some wins down the stretch. That challenging slate begins on Saturday, Feb. 16 when SU hosts #8/8 Georgetown (20-3, 10-2) at 12 p.m. at the Carrier Dome.
The matchup is the second between the two rivals this year and is the first part of a day-night basketball doubleheader. The SU women’s team is also home Saturday. It will host nationally-ranked Notre Dame at 7 p.m.
Tickets for both of Saturday's 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. Fans who attend the men's game in the afternoon can receive half priced admission to the women's game by showing their ticket stub.
Voice of the Orange Matt Park will have the call of the men's game 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. The game will also be televised live on ESPN.
In addition to the Hoyas, who currently own the top spot in the league standings, the SU men will face Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall and Marquette to close out the regular year. Every team but Seton Hall is ranked in the top six in the conference and would represent a marquee win in the eyes of the NCAA Tournament committee.
The Orange nearly added such a signature victory to its portfolio against Georgetown in their first meeting this season, but the Hoyas nipped SU in overtime, 64-62, on Jan. 21. Freshman Jonny Flynn’s (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) 3-point attempt that would have won the game rimmed out as time expired. Flynn torched the Hoyas for 24 points, but SU struggled from the field as a team, shooting only 36.5 pct. and was held without a field goal in overtime.
That contest marked the start of Flynn’s ironman streak. He played all 45 minutes against the Hoyas and hasn’t left the floor in a game since, a stretch of 245 consecutive minutes.
In its last outing at USF on Wednesday, Flynn went the distance again and was one of four double-digit scorers, but SU couldn’t overcome a 20-point second-half deficit and lost is second game in row, 89-78. Freshman Donte’ Greene (Baltimore, Md.) led the squad with 17 points and Orange head coach Jim Boeheim got a solid contribution off the bench from Scoop Jardine (Philadelphia, Pa.). Jardine recorded his fourth double-digit game of the year, scoring 10 points in 37 minutes off the bench. He also had seven assists.
The loss dropped the Orange into ninth in the conference.
The Hoyas, meanwhile, remain of the nation’s hottest teams, winning seven of its last eight. Georgetown is 10-2 in the BIG EAST and holds a one-game margin over second-place Louisville.
Their success is built on defense. Georgetown lists first in the league in scoring defense (56.7 ppg), field goal percentage defense (35.3 pct.) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.6 pct.).
Offensively, they have been efficient and lead the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (49.2 pct.). Center Roy Hibbert (13.2 ppg) has connected on 60.1 pct. of his attempts and leads the team in scoring. DaJuan Summers (11.1 ppg) is Georgetown’s only other double-figure scorer, but the Hoyas have a balanced lineup with three additional players averaging more than 9.0 points per contest.
The Orange leads the all-time series, 42-36, and is 27-10 all-time against the Hoyas at home. Syracuse has won the last three meetings at the Dome.
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