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Syracuse University
St. Francis (N.Y.) College
Orange Remains Perfect with 75-51 Victory Against St. Francis
12/13/2009 1:56:30 PM | Men's Basketball
Box Score | Coach Boeheim Quotes | Student-Athlete Quotes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – #7/6 Syracuse (10-0) remained perfect on the season with a 75-51 victory against St. Francis (3-6) on Sunday afternoon at the Carrier Dome. The 10-0 record marks the best season start for the Orange since 1999-00 when it opened the campaign with 19 consecutive triumphs.
The Orange dominated the Terriers down low, holding a 32-14 advantage in points in the paint. Senior center Arinze Onuaku controlled the lane, tallying 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting while junior forward Rick Jackson added 11 points and six rebounds.
Junior forward Wes Johnson contributed 12 points, nine boards, two assists, three steals and a game-best four blocked shots. Redshirt freshman Mookie Jones rounded out the double-digit scorers for the Orange, posting 10 points, including three 3-pointers. All 11 players who saw court time for the Orange contributed points.
Redshirt sophomore forward Scoop Jardine dished out a game-high nine assists, tying his career-best effort. Sophomore forward Kris Joseph had seven rebounds off the bench.
Syracuse broke the game open with a 16-2 scoring swing in the second half, taking its largest lead of the game, 68-37, with 8:30 left to play. Jones propelled the run with a trio of three's while the Orange defense held the Terriers scoreless for three minutes during the stretch.
The two teams played closely through the opening 10 minutes, with Syracuse holding at least a two-point lead for all but two minutes in the stretch. Ahead 9-7, the Orange used an eight-point run to take a 17-7 advantage with 12:39 remaining.
St. Francis pulled within one, 19-18, before Onuaku reasserted the Syracuse lead to 25-18 with three straight buckets and 7:59 left before the break.
In front, 27-21, the Orange used a 10-3 run to take its largest lead of the half, 37-24, with 1:08 remaining. Syracuse retained its edge, heading into the locker room with an 43-26 lead. The Terriers were able to remain within striking distance of the Orange in the first half due to their on-point shooting from behind the arc. St. Francis scored 18 of its 26 first-half points on threes.
Syracuse rolls on in its non-conference schedule when it entertains St. Bonaventure on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 7:00 p.m.
