Syracuse Season Ends After 81-77 Loss Against Massachusetts

Tuesday, March 25

Carrier Dome

7:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

NIT Quarterfinal vs. UMass

Freshman point guard Jonny Flynn tallied 14 points, eight assists and six rebounds against Massachusetts on Tuesday night.

Syracuse Season Ends After 81-77 Loss Against Massachusetts

3/25/2008 9:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score
Coach Boeheim Quotes
Syracuse Player Quotes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Junior center Arinze Onuaku collected a team-high 20 points and claimed eight rebounds in front of 20,162 fans at the Carrier Dome on Tuesday, but a second-half Massachusetts (24-10) rally and an 81-77 defeat ended the Syracuse (21-14) season one game shy of the National Invitation Tournament semifinal round.

The Orange offense boasted four scorers in double figures. Freshman forward Donte' Greene totaled 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds, freshman point guard Jonny Flynn tallied 14 points, dished a club-best eight assists and secured six boards, and freshman combo guard Scoop Jardine recorded 12 points, posted four rebounds and contributed four helpers in 28 minutes off the Syracuse bench.

Massachusetts utilized a scorching 55.6 percent second-half shooting performance to overcome a 22-point deficit with just under 15 minutes remaining. After shooting 23.3 percent from the floor in the first half, the Minutemen recorded a 56.3 percent long-range display in the closing 20 minutes.

After the Minutemen grabbed its last lead of the game, 78-77, following a dunk from Dante Milligan with 26 ticks remaining, the Orange twice had opportunities to escape with the win but Greene's leaner on the baseline was blocked and SU came away without a shot on its final possession.

Massachusetts will meet the winner of tonight's Arizona State and Florida contest on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

Syracuse raced to its largest lead of the game with 14:37 remaining after leading 43-24 at the intermission. Flynn's steal and Jardine's subsequent lay-in provided SU with the 22-point cushion, 54-32.

Massachusetts answered, scoring the game's next 10 points and trimming the Orange advantage to 12 points, 54-42, at the 12:44 mark.

The Minutemen narrowed the cushion to single digits, 64-55, after a three-point basket from Ricky Harris. Syracuse responded and built a 14-point edge, 70-56, following a fast-break lay-in from Flynn with 7:48 remaining.

However, UMass closed the contest on a 25-7 spurt en route to the victory. The Orange led by 10 points with just over five minutes on the clock, but a lay-in from Milligan at the 1:20 mark closed the gap to one possession, 76-73. With 54 seconds left, Harris' fifth and final three-point basket of the game pulled the visitors within one, 77-76, setting the stage for Milligan's go-ahead dunk.

Ricky Harris led all scorers with 23 points, while Etienne Brower added 19. The UMass duo combined to convert 10 three-point field goals, including eight in the second half. Milligan finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Jardine powered the Orange on a 10-0 run midway through the first half, providing the hosts with a 21-8 lead at the 9:15 mark before intermission. While both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm early, it was Philadelphia native's presence for the Orange that awoke the sleeping giant.

Jardine keyed the run with a contributing hand on every basket during the spurt. Greene started the stretch with a three-point basket off a pass from the rookie guard. Onuaku and Harris flushed home two dunks on the Orange's ensuing possessions off feeds from Jardine. SU closed the streak on a steal and fast-break lay-in from Jardine and a free throw from Onuaku.

The Syracuse cushion grew to 19 points, 41-22, after a 12-2 run to the close the opening 20 minutes. Freshman center Rick Jackson charged the spurt with a fast-break two-hand dunk before corralling and depositing a loose ball. Flynn capped the push with a lay-in on the break and a highlight-reel blocked shot off the glass on a UMass fast-break lay-up attempt.

The Orange 2007-08 season concluded with a 21-14 overall record. Hall of Fame head coach Jim Boeheim finished his 32^nd season at the head of the SU sideline with 771-career victories. Syracuse's 87-81 win against Robert Morris on March 18 in the opening round of the NIT secured Boeheim's 30^th-career 20-win season, tying him for the most all-time with legendary UNC bench mentor Dean Smith.