Connecticut Edges Syracuse, 63-61, in BIG EAST Thriller at the Carrier Dome

Wednesday, February 6

Carrier Dome

7:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Connecticut

Sophomore forward Paul Harris registered his 16th-career double-double with a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds against UConn on Wednesday.

Connecticut Edges Syracuse, 63-61, in BIG EAST Thriller at the Carrier Dome

2/6/2008 9:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score
Coach Boeheim Quote

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Freshman point guard Jonny Flynn's 30-foot three-point try as time expired in the second half missed the mark and #19/19 Connecticut (17-5, 7-3) prevailed with a 63-61 win on Wednesday in front of 23,731 fans at the Carrier Dome. Sophomore forward Paul Harris posted his 16^th-career double-double with a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds for Syracuse (16-8, 6-5).

Flynn totaled 20 points, dished six assists and grabbed five rebounds in 40 minutes of action. The rookie court general's long-range showcase, including a 4-for-7 shooting performance, charged the Orange down the stretch. Syracuse overcame a nine-point deficit over the final 3:27, setting the stage for the game's final play.

The Orange trailed by six points, 62-56, at the 1:11 mark following back-to-back free throws from UConn guard Craig Austrie. Harris' lay-in on SU's ensuing possession narrowed the Huskies' edge to four points with 63 ticks remaining. Austrie responded with 1-of-2 from the foul line before Flynn's follow-away three point basket with 41.8 seconds left provided the heroics.

Out of a Syracuse timeout, Connecticut drained the shot clock before Austrie misfired from beyond the three-point line. After Stanley Robinson's offensive rebound turned into a jump-ball in favor of the Orange, Flynn's desperation heave with 2.9 seconds remaining fell short of the target.

Freshman forward Donte' Greene struggled to find an offensive rhythm throughout, scoring a season-low eight points and posting three rebounds. Junior center Arinze Onuaku tallied six points and recorded six boards.

The Huskies secured a nine-point edge, 55-46, at the 4:59 mark following a 9-0 run. The Orange offensive attack showed resiliency, but could not find an answer for UConn sophomore center Hasheem Thabeet inside. Thabeet thwarted the SU offense with a game-high seven blocks, including three in the game's decisive spurt.

Syracuse owned a 34-31 lead at the intermission behind a late scoring charge ignited by Harris. The Niagara Falls, N.Y., native tallied six of the Orange's last eight points in the first frame, mixing four free throws with a coast-to-coast lay-in. Flynn's steal at mid-court and resultant lay-in as time expired provided SU with the three-point edge.

Harris provided the game's electricity in the first half, pushing the Orange's lead to four points, 18-14. After capturing one of his four steals, a team-best with Flynn, the sophomore workhorse sprinted the length of the floor and beat his defender with a cross-over dribble before depositing a thunderous two-hand flush, bringing the Carrier Dome faithful to its feet. Harris and Flynn, high school teammates at Niagara Falls, combined for 24 of Syracuse's 27 second-half points.

Flynn played every minute for the fifth straight contest. His total of 205 minutes in that span ties for the second-best since 1989-90 for the Orange. Allen Griffin played in 215 minutes in all of five straight contests in 2000-01. Jason Hart had 205 minutes in a five-game span in 1996-97.

Connecticut junior forward Jeff Adrien supplied the bulk of the offense for the visitors, totaling a team-high 19 points and 12 rebounds for his 27^th-career double-double. Junior guard A.J. Price collected 14 points and handed out six helpers in the win.

Wednesday night's BIG EAST battle, part of ESPN's annual Rivalry Week programming, pitted two of the nation's most highly-regarded head coaches. Syracuse sideline general Jim Boeheim and UConn mentor Jim Calhoun, inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame together in 2005, met for the 47^th time since 1976. With the win, Calhoun tallies his 767^th-career coaching victory, one more than Boeheim's 766.

Syracuse embarks on a seven-day hiatus before returning to the road on Wednesday, February 13 against South Florida at 7:00 p.m. in the Sun Dome. SU fans can catch the Orange and Bulls rematch on ESPN Regional (Time Warner 26).