Syracuse University
University of Florida
Jackson Propels #6 Syracuse to 85-73 Victory Against #11 Florida
12/10/2009 10:01:58 PM | Men's Basketball
Box Score
TAMPA, Fla. – Junior forward Rick Jackson netted a career-best 21 points to lead #6/7 Syracuse (9-0)to a 85-73 victory against #11/11 Florida (8-1) in the SEC/BIG EAST Invitational on Thursday night at St. Pete Times Forum.
Jackson led all scorers, going 9-for-14 from the field while senior guard Andy Rautins had 18 points and dished out three assists. Junior Wes Johnson tallied 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting while sophomore Kris Joseph rounded out the double digit scorers with 12 points.
Sophomore guard Scoop Jardine and rookie guard Brandon Triche directed the Orange offense, dishing out five and four assists, respectively. Jardine added nine points and a pair of steals while Triche had six points and two steals.
Senior center Arinze Onuaku reached a career milestone, netting his 1,000th career point. Onuaku had a pair of baskets, becoming the 52nd player in Syracuse history to join the 1,000 point club.
Jackson also led the Orange defensively with a game-best 13 rebounds, as it controlled the boards, out rebounding the Gators, 40-27. Johnson and Joseph each added 10 boards while Rautins had four.
The two teams traded three's to open the scoring, before the Orange used a six-point run to take a 9-6 advantage. The Gators tied the game at nine, but Jackson and Jardine combined for a quick four points to put Syracuse back on top, 9-13, with 15:12 remaining in the half.
The back-and-forth play continued through the first half, with Syracuse maintaining at least a two-point lead. The Orange continued to drive, using a 16-8 run to gain its largest lead of the half, 32-22, with 7:44 remaining before the break. The Gators slowly began to shrink the deficit, but Syracuse stayed out in front, heading into the locker room with a 42-36 lead.
Florida came on strong out of the locker room, tying the game at 56 with 10:33 left in the game. The Orange was undeterred, going on a 14-3 run to take a 73-63 lead with 4:29 remaining.
The Gators could not compete with the Syracuse offense, which closed out the 85-73 victory on an 8-0 run.
Syracuse entertains St. Francis (N.Y.) on Sunday, December 13 at the Carrier Dome at 1 p.m.
