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Syracuse University
University of Maine
#8/7 Syracuse Strong In 101-55 Win Against Maine
12/5/2009 8:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Box Score | Coach Boeheim Quotes | Player Quotes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – #8/7 Syracuse remained unbeaten with a 101-55 victory against Maine on Saturday night at the Carrier Dome. The Orange broke the game open with a 32-0 first-half run, holding the Black Bears scoreless for 11 minutes.
Syracuse overwhelmed Maine with a balanced attack that had six different players with double-digit points. The Orange shot a blistering 65.1 percent from the field, while holding the Black Bears to a 26.5 shooting percentage.
Freshman guard Brandon Triche led the charge, netting 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, while dishing out a pair of assists. Senior center Arinze Onuaku and sophomore forward Kris Joseph each added 14 points while redshirt freshman Mookie Jones matched his career-high with 12 points.
Sophomore guard Scoop Jardine paired 10 points with seven assists while freshman James Southerland had 10 points on 4-of-5 shootings. Senior guard Andy Rautins directed the Syracuse attack, dishing out a game-best nine assists.
SU dominated the Black Bears inside, holding a 52-14 advantage in points in the paint while out-rebounding the visitors, 45-33.
Junior forward Rick Jackson tallied a team-best eight rebounds. Onauku added seven boards and a trio of blocked shots while junior forward Wes Johnson had six rebounds and four blocks.
The Orange opened on a 13-3 run through the first 3:30, powered by seven points from Triche.
Back-to-back threes by Rautins and Johnson boosted the Orange advantage to 19-6, before the duo brought the Dome crowd to its feet as Rautins fed a high-flying Johnson on an alley-oop.
Syracuse then put the game away, netting 32 while holding the Black Bears scoreless for 11 minutes. Jones propelled the run with six points on a pair of three's while Jardine and Southerland each had five. SU's 60-12 halftime lead marked the most points scored in a half by Syracuse this season and the least first half points allowed in the Dome since the Orange limited Princeton to 11 on November 12, 1999.
The Black Bears upped their offense in the second half, but couldn't overcome the 48-point halftime deficit, and the Orange sealed the 101-55 victory.
Maine's Gerald McLemore led all scorers with 21 points, including five three's ,while Junior Bernal was second on the team with seven points. Mike Allison led the Black Bears on the glass, tallying a game-best nine boards.
Syracuse travels to Tampa, Fla. to face off against Florida in the SEC/BIG EAST Challenge on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 9 p.m.
