Greene's Career Night Powers Orange to 87-81 Win Against Robert Morris in NIT Opening Round

Tuesday, March 18

Carrier Dome

8:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

NIT First Round vs. Robert Morris

Freshman forward Donte' Greene totaled a career-best 27 points against Robert Morris in the opening round of the NIT on Tuesday night.

Greene's Career Night Powers Orange to 87-81 Win Against Robert Morris in NIT Opening Round

3/18/2008 10:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score
Coach Boeheim Quotes
Syracuse Player Quotes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Freshman forward Donte' Greene powered Syracuse (20-13) to an 87-81 win against Robert Morris (26-8) in the opening round of the National Invitation Tournament at the Carrier Dome on Tuesday night. Greene tallied a game-high and career-best 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting overall.

The win marks 32^nd-year Hall of Fame head coach Jim Boeheim's 30^th-career 20-win season, matching the all-time leader and legendary North Carolina sideline mentor Dean Smith.

While tying a career best with six three-point field goals, Greene improved his season total to 85 and tied former Orange standout Gerry McNamara for first and sixth-place all-time on the SU long distance charts for a freshman and in a single season, respectively.

Sophomore guard Paul Harris totaled his 18^th-career double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. He matched a career best with 12-of-16 free throws. Harris completed an all-around floor game with five assists and four steals.

Freshman combo guard Scoop Jardine posted 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting overall and distributed six helpers. Jardine logged 35 minutes in the second-half absence of freshman point guard Jonny Flynn. Flynn played 14 minutes in the opening half and added three assists, but did not return to the game after the intermission due to an injury suffered against Villanova.

Junior forward Kristof Ongenaet tallied 13 points on 4-for-5 shooting from the floor, including a 5-for-6 display from the charity stripe.

Junior center Arinze Onuaku collected seven points on 3-for-4 shooting overall, and matched Harris' game high with 10 boards and club-best four steals.

The Orange trailed 35-28 at the 6:10 mark of the first half, struggling find a rhythm against Robert Morris' transitioning half-court defense. However, Syracuse closed the frame on a 16-5 run in the final eight minutes, securing a 44-40 advantage at the break. Flynn ignited the spurt with a floater off the window before Jardine converted a soft runner from the left elbow.

Following two lay-ins in the paint from Ongenaet, Greene punctuated the run with a highlight-reel one-hand slam off an alley-oop feed from Harris on the fast break.

The Syracuse surge carried its momentum into the opening minutes of the second half as the hosts grabbed a game-high 11-point lead, 51-40, after two free throws from Harris. Ongenaet's rejection of Bateko Francisco's jumper along the corner baseline on RMU's first possession brought the Carrier Dome to its feet.

Yet, the resilient Colonials refused to surrender quietly. Shooting guard Greg Wallace capped a 7-0 run from the visitors with a three-point basket at the 16:05 mark, pulling RMU within 51-48. Minutes later, Robert Morris' 10-2 run, closed by a three-ball in transition from sharpshooter Jimmy Langhurst, narrowed the SU margin to one point at 59-58.

The Colonials, who entered the evening as winners in 19 of the last 21 games, secured its first lead since the 2:21 mark of the first half following a triple from forward A.J. Jackson with 6:55 remaining.

On the ensuing possession, Onuaku keyed a 9-0 spurt from the Orange with a free throw. Greene and Jardine energized the Orange push with back-to-back trifectas, handing SU a 79-71 edge with 3:37 left on the clock.

The Colonials answered and trimmed the Orange edge to two points with 66 ticks remaining after consecutive long-range field goals from Langhurst. But down the stretch, Syracuse canned six charity tosses to seal the victory.

Jackson led the RMU attack with a team-best 19 points, while Langhurst and Jeremy Chappell deposited 15 points apiece. Tony Lee, the Northeast Conference's Player of the Year, tallied just 10 points on only seven field-goal tries.

Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome hardwood on Thursday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m. in the second round of the NIT against Maryland.

The Orange returns to the hardwood on Thursday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m. against ACC foe Maryland. Tickets are on-sale exclusively for season-ticket holders (click here) until 10:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. Tickets will go on-sale to the general public at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday online (click here) and the Carrier Dome Box Office. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for youth 12-and-under and $5 for SU faculty, staff and students.