Saturday, March 14
Madison Square Garden
9:00 p.m.
Syracuse University
vs
Louisville
Paul Harris is averaging more than 10 rebounds per game in three BIG EAST Tournament victories.
SU Eyes Tourney Title
3/14/2009 11:10:56 AM | Men's Basketball
Tournament Central | Bracket | Live Audio | Game Notes (.pdf)
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Orange's Broadway show kept on rolling Friday as sixth-seeded Syracuse (26-8) defeated West Virginia, 74-69, in overtime to advance to the BIG EAST Tournament title game on Saturday, March 14. The Orange will take on top-seeded Louisville (27-5) in the championship game at 9 p.m. at Madison Square Garden.
Saturday's matchup will be televised live nationally on ESPN. Fans can also catch the action on the radio live via the Syracuse ISP Sports Network and its flagship station TK 99 (99.5 FM). Live streaming audio of the game will be available online on SUathletics.com as part of Orange All Access.
Syracuse is making its conference-record 14th appearance in the championship game. It will be the first title-game trip for the Cardinals who joined the league in 2005-06.
ABOUT SYRACUSE
The Orange is putting together another memorable run in the Big Apple. Less than 24 hours after outlasting Connecticut in six overtimes, Syracuse needed extra time Friday to slip past the Mountaineers. The Orange has played seven overtimes in its last two games – a total of 35 extra minutes - or almost the equivalent of an additional game.
Sophomore Jonny Flynn has played 147 out of a possible 155 minutes in the tournament and he did not leave the floor in the team's semifinal victory against the Mountaineers. Flynn is averaging a double-double in the three tournament games (22.7 pgg, 10.3 apg) and is the squad's top scorer.
Like Flynn, junior Paul Harris is averaging a double-double for the tournament (13.0 ppg, 10.7 rpg). Harris secured a career-best 22 rebounds in Friday's marathon win against Connecticut.
On the perimeter, juniors Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins have combined to light up New York City from long range. The duo is 25-for-51 (.490) from behind the arc and the pair has 25 of the Orange's 28 triples during the tournament.
ORANGE IN THE BIG EAST TOURNAMENT
Syracuse is 45-24 all-time in the BIG EAST Tournament. Its 45 tournament wins is tied with Georgetown for the most in conference history. The only other time Syracuse was the tournament's sixth seed was in 1981 and the Orange fared well, winning its first tournament championship with an 83-80 triple-overtime victory against Villanova in the Carrier Dome.
Syracuse is 45-24 all-time in the BIG EAST Tournament. Its 45 tournament wins is tied with Georgetown for the most in conference history. The only other time Syracuse was the tournament's sixth seed was in 1981 and the Orange fared well, winning its first tournament championship with an 83-80 triple-overtime victory against Villanova in the Carrier Dome.
Overall, the Orange has won the tournament crown five times, including back-to-back championships in 2005 and 2006.
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE
Louisville is ranked fifth nationally in both polls and the Cardinals are vying for a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals won the conference regular-season title with a 15-2 record to earn the BIG EAST Championship's top seed. It defeated eighth-seeded Providence in the quarterfinals before dispatching the No. 4 seed, Villanova, by the score of 69-55 Friday to move on to the championship game.
Juniors Earl Clark and Jerry Smith paced the Cardinals with 17 and 16 points, respectively, in the semifinal win over the Wildcats. Clark, an All-BIG EAST Third Team selection, leads the team in scoring (14.1 ppg) and rebounding (8.8 rpg).
Clark is complemented by all-conference first-team honoree Terrence Williams. Williams, a senior, is second in the squad with 12.4 points per outing and 8.5 boards per contest. He leads Louisville with 162 assists. The Cardinals also feature one of the league's top freshman in Samardo Samuels (11.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg). Samuels was named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team and he scored 22 points in the Cardinals' quarterfinal win against Providence.
Rick Pitino is in his seventh year as the head coach of the Cardinals and he is no stranger to Syracuse basketball fans. Orange head coach Jim Boeheim gave Pitino his college coaching start, hiring him as an assistant in 1976. He remained at Syracuse until 1978.
In addition to the Cardinals, Pitino has served as the head coach at Boston University, Providence, Kentucky and with the NBA's Boston Celtics. His 1995-96 Kentucky squad defeated Syracuse, 76-67, to win the national championship.
THE SERIES
Louisville holds a 9-4 advantage in the all-time series, including a 67-57 victory at the Carrier Dome in the regular season. Since the Cardinals joined the BIG EAST, Louisville has claimed three of the four matchups between the clubs. Saturday's meeting will be the first for the two schools in the BIG EAST Tournament.
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