SU Resumes BIG EAST Play Sunday

Tickets | Live audio | Live Stats | Game Notes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - #7/7 Syracuse (14-1, 1-1) returns to BIG EAST Conference play and hosts USF (10-4, 0-2) on Sunday, Jan. 10 at 2 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. After splitting its first two league contests, the Orange stepped out of conference to defeat Memphis on Jan. 6 to finish with a perfect 13-0 regular-season non-conference record.

Syracuse is 14-1 for the second straight season and for the eighth time during the head-coaching tenure of Jim Boeheim.

Tickets for Sunday's against game against the Bulls are available online, by phone (1-888-DOMETIX) or in person at the Carrier Dome Box Office. The matchup will be televised live on the BIG EAST Network. Fans can also listen to the action via the Syracuse ISP Radio Network and its flagship TK 99 (99.5 FM). The audio stream of the radio broadcast will be available on SUathletics.com as part of Orange All-Access.

LAST TIME OUT

Syracuse finished the non-conference portion of its schedule without a loss for the first time since 1993-94 with its 74-57 victory against the Tigers Wednesday. The win ended Memphis' streak of consecutive January wins at 35.

The Orange prevailed on the strength of a 16-5 run early in the second half. After a three by the Tigers' Roburt Sallie tied the game at 35 at the 19:15 mark of the second period, 16 of the game's next 21 points to pull in front by 11, 51-40, with 11:13 to play and the Tigers never got closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Junior Wes Johnson led the Orange in scoring for the sixth time this season with 19 points. He also had seven rebounds. For the second straight game, sophomore Kris Joseph narrowly missed a double-double. He finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. All 15 of his points came in the second half.

JARDINE AND RAUTINS BUFFALO THE BULLS

Redshirt sophomore Scoop Jardine and senior #Andy Rautins have had some of the most productive games of their careers against USF. Jardine has averaged 12.0 points and 7.5 assists in two career games against the Bulls. He played more than 30 minutes in the each contest.

Rautins has averaged 13.0 points per contest in three outings versus USF. He is 12-for-21 (.571) from 3-point range in his career against the Bulls. Rautins played all 40 minutes and had 14 points and seven rebounds in last year's 59-54 win in Tampa.

JOSEPH A SECOND-HALF TERROR

Sophomore reserve Kris Joseph has stepped up his game in the second half this season. For the season, he is averaging 10.7 points per game. He is averaging 7.9 of his points after the intermission versus 2.8 points in the first half. Against Memphis, all 15 of his points came after the break and he scored 15 of 16 points at Seton Hall after halftime.

Joseph is the team's second-leading scorer in the second half games this season behind Johnson (9.8 points).

SCOUTING THE BULLS
Coach Stan Heath has USF off to a 10-4 start in 2009-10. The Bulls have already surpassed their victory total of a season ago when the club was 9-22 overall.

In its most-recent action, USF battled Notre Dame to the wire before losing, 74-73, on Jan. 5. A free throw by Luke Harangody, the preseason BIG EAST Conference Player of the Year, clinched the win for the Fighting Irish. Junior guard Dominique Jones, who is averaging 18.1 points per game, had 26 for the Bulls.

Augustus Gilchrist, a 6-10 transfer from Maryland, has helped USF to its solid start, averaging 18.8 points and 7.4 rebounds over eight games before suffering a severe ankle injury. He is expected to be out of the lineup for a few more weeks.

In addition to Jones, junior center Jarrid Famous (11.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and senior guard Chris Howard (9.7 ppg) have started all 14 games for USF.

THE SERIES
Syracuse has a 6-1 advantage in the series with USF. The Orange won the first five meetings of the series before USF was a winner in the 2008 matchup. Syracuse rebounded with a five-point road win in 2008-09, 59-54, at the Sun Dome.

Syracuse University Athletics

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