Opportunity Answered: Syracuse Knocks Off No. 8/8 Georgetown, 77-70

Saturday, February 16

Carrier Dome

12:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Georgetown

Freshman Jonny Flynn tallied 17 points, dished a game-high nine assists and logged 40 minutes played for the seventh-straight game against Georgetown on Saturday.

Opportunity Answered: Syracuse Knocks Off No. 8/8 Georgetown, 77-70

2/16/2008 3:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Coach Boeheim Quotes
Syracuse Player Quotes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Sophomore forward Paul Harris tallied a team-high 22 points and posted eight rebounds in Syracuse's (17-9, 7-6) emphatic 77-70 victory against BIG EAST rival No. 8/8 Georgetown (20-4, 10-3). The Carrier Dome hosted 31,327 fans on Saturday against the Hoyas, the largest on-campus crowd in college basketball this season.

Freshman point guard Jonny Flynn, who logged 40 minutes of action for the seventh-straight outing, totaled 17 points, including a flawless 8-for-8 performance from the charity stripe, and dished a game-high nine assists. The rookie floor leader extended his consecutive minutes-played streak to 297 and change dating back to January 19.

Freshman forward Donte' Greene recorded 18 points and served four helpers.

Junior center Arinze Onuaku produced his second formidable outing of the season against one of the country's premiere big men, Hoyas' center Roy Hibbert. The Lanham, Md., native posted 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting overall. Onuaku collected a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds against the Georgetown center on January 21.

The Orange stormed to a 38-22 advantage at the intermission behind a blistering 32-9 scoring run over nine-plus minutes in the first half. SU shot a scorching 11-for-16 from the field during the spurt. Flynn ignited the stretch with a running leaner in the paint before Harris converted an and-one lay-in and a three-point basket, supplying the Orange with a lead it would never relinquish.

Greene twice brought the Loud House faithful to its feet following back-to-back three-point baskets. Syracuse's cushion ballooned to a game-high 21 points after Harris connected on a 17-foot jumper at the 4:36 mark. Georgetown's 22-point first-half effort was a season low.

However, the nationally ranked Hoyas closed out the first frame and opened the second stanza on a 19-7 run. Junior guard Jesse Sapp and senior guard Jonathan Wallace capped the spurt with consecutive triples and narrowed the gap to 43-34, forcing the Orange into a 30-second timeout.

Out of the timeout, Syracuse answered the bell, scored 10 of the game's ensuing 12 points and secured command of a 53-38 advantage. Harris corralled a loose ball at mid-court and deposited an uncontested one-hand stuff before Greene found Onuaku off a screen-and-slip for a thunderous two-hand flush.

Yet, Georgetown failed to be fazed by the Orange's counter, responding with a 10-0 run and trimming the deficit to just seven points. Patrick Ewing's tip-in at the 7:16 mark brought the visitors within five, 55-50.

Greene's fourth and final triple of the afternoon, paired with two free throws from freshman center Rick Jackson, supplied Syracuse with breathing room and a 10-point lead. The Hoyas clawed back to within seven, but would come no closer. Harris twisted in a lay-in with contact in the lane and pushed the SU edge to nine points with 2:11 remaining.

The Orange's transition defense and effort on the offensive end inside proved to be the game's deciding factors. Syracuse out-raced the Hoyas to an 18-5 edge in points on the break. Additionally, SU owned a 30-18 advantage in points in the paint, and a 36-30 benefit on the glass.

Wallace led all Hoyas with 26 points on 9-for-10 shooting overall, including a 6-for-7 showcase from long-range. Sophomore DaJuan Summers tallied 14 points, while Sapp and Hibbert posted 11 apiece.

There's no rest for the weary as the Orange returns to the road in just 52 hours on Monday, February 18 against No. 23/RV Louisville at 7:00 p.m., as part of ESPN's Big Monday package.