Syracuse University
Georgetown University
#4 Syracuse Downs #7/12 Georgetown
1/25/2010 7:34:42 PM | Men's Basketball
Box Score | Coach Boeheim Quotes | Student-Athlete Quotes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - #4/4 Syracuse (20-1, 7-1) fell behind 14-0 to start the game but rallied to defeat #7/11 Georgetown (15-4, 6-3), 73-56, in front of 26,508 at the Carrier Dome on Monday night. The victory extended SU's win streak to seven games and was the fifth triumph against a ranked opponent for the Orange this season.
The victory marked the 32nd 20-win season in head coach Jim Boeheim's 34-year tenure, an NCAA record among Division I coaches.
The Orange employed a balanced attack which had seven different players scoring, including three in double figures. Andy Rautins and Kris Joseph led the Orange offense with a team-best 15 points each. Rautins matched his scoring performance with six assists and six steals, both team-high marks. Joseph was 5-for-7 from the field and 5-for-6 from the charity stripe while dishing out two assists and making three steals.
Wes Johnson, a candidate for the Wooden Player of the Year Award, rounded out the double-figure scorers, combining 14 points with a team-best nine rebounds. He also had a game-best four blocked shots, three steals and a pair of assists.
The Orange was held scoreless for the first three and a half minutes of play while Georgetown tallied the first 14 points of the contest. Austin Freeman propelled the Hoyas scoring run with a trio of three's.
Syracuse cut into the deficit with an 8-0 run, thanks in part to five points from Joseph.
The teams traded baskets through the next four minutes, with Georgetown maintaining a lead of at least eight points. With Georgetown ahead 20-12, Scoop Jardine scored the next six points for SU. Jason Clark increased the separation with his second trifecta of the game, but Rautins answered from three-point range to keep SU within two, 23-21.
The Hoyas were up 29-23 when Syracuse responded, closing out the first half on an 11-0 run to take a 34-29 lead at the break. A free throw by Johnson gave the Orange its first lead of the game, 30-29, and SU never trailed again. At the intermission, Jardine and Joseph each had nine points.
The teams exchanged baskets to open the second halfwith Georgetown using a four-point run to cut the Orange lead, 37-33. Rick Jackson helped SU answer, powering through the Hoya defense under the basket for three-straight layups to give Syracuse a 43-33 advantage with 16:09 remaining.
A 43-36 Syracuse advantage quickly became 52-37 after Johnson hit a jumper and a 3-pointer and Joseph added a layup and two free throws. The lead swelled to as many as 20 points, at 67-47, before settling on the fnial score.
The Syracuse bench, featuring solid efforts from Jardine and Joseph, outscored the Hoya reserves 24-0 in the contest. The Orange managed a 33-24 rebound advantage and forced 19 Georgetown turnovers.
Jackson matched eight points with four rebounds and rejected a trio of shots. Arinze Onuaku paired seven points with seven boards.
The Orange was on-point from the charity stripe, shooting 21-for-28 for the game, including 16-for-22 in the second-half.
Freeman led all scorers with 23 points and was the Hoyas rebounding leader with six boards. Clark had 15 points. Sophomore standout Greg Monroe was held to eight points before fouling out.
The Orange improved to 20-1 for the third time in Boeheim's time as head coach. Syracuse was also 20-1 in 2004-05 and 1979-80.
Syracuse visits DePaul on Saturday, January 30, with tipoff set for 2 p.m.
