Syracuse University
West Virginia University
Orange Celebrates Valentine's Day with Big Monday Showdown Against WVU
2/13/2011 2:22:03 PM | Men's Basketball
| GAME #27 | ||
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vs. |  |
| Game Info | Monday, Feb. 14 | 7 p.m. | Game Notes | |
| Location | Carrier Dome | Tickets | |
| Game Day | ||
| TV/Radio | ESPN | TK99 | espn3.com | |
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 12/13 Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome to face No. 25/RV West Virginia in a Big Monday matchup on February 14 at 7 p.m. The Orange enters the contest with an overall record of 20-6 and a 7-6 mark in BIG EAST play. The Mountaineers are 16-8 overall, 7-5 in the conference.
Tickets for the game can be purchased online, by calling 1-888-DOMETIX or by visiting the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B). Fans not in attendance can watch the game live on ESPN or listen to the action via the Syracuse Sports Network and its flagship TK99 (99.5 FM). The audio stream of the radio broadcast will be available on SUathletics.com as part of Orange All Access. Subscriptions to Orange All Access are available at daily, monthly and yearly rates.
A VALENTINE'S DAY TRADITION
Orange fans can celebrate Valentine's Day by taking in a Syracuse basketball game for the third consecutive year and for the fourth time in the last five years. Last season, the Orange lost to Louisville, 66-60, in the Carrier Dome on Valentine's Day. In 2008-09, SU defeated Georgetown, 98-94 in overtime, on February 14. Overall, Syracuse has played on Valentine's Day 12 times during head coach Jim Boeheim's tenure. The Orange is 8-4 in those contests.
SECOND-HALF SPARKPLUG
Sophomore Brandon Triche has been a catalyst for the offense in the second halves of games all season. He continued that trend at Louisville last Saturday. Triche sparked the Orange's comeback attempt, scoring 16 of his season-high 21 points after intermission. He hit four three-pointers during a 26-16 Syracuse scoring run that cut Louisville's lead to nine with 6:55 to play. Triche scored his final points on a layup that brought SU to within three at 69-66 with 1:37 left in the game.
Triche has reached double figures in scoring in 13 of his last 17 games. This season, he is averaging 10.8 points per game.
849 AND COUNTING
Syracuse's win at USF was the 849th career victory for Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim. With one more win, Boeheim will become just the fifth Division I coach to record 850 career victories. He will join an elite group that includes Bob Knight, Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith and Adolph Rupp.
Boeheim ranks second in wins among active Division I coaches, trailing only Coach K at Duke.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ORANGE
Sophomore Brandon Triche scored a season-high 21 points to lead Syracuse in its 73-69 setback to No. 16/15 Louisville on Saturday, February 12 in Louisville, Ky. The Orange, which trailed by as many as 20 points in the second half, cut the Cardinals' lead to three with 1:37 to play, but couldn't overcome the deficit.
The first nine minutes of play included eight lead changes and two ties. Syracuse used an 11-2 scoring to take its largest lead of the game, 26-19. Louisville answered with 10 unanswered points to take a 29-26 lead with 2:19 on the clock. Freshman #C.J. Fair# hit a pair of free throws to halt the run and cut the lead to 29-28, but Louisville hit back-to-back three-pointers and held a 37-28 advantage with 39 seconds on the clock. Junior Scoop Jardine hit a three-pointer with seven seconds remaining before UofL's Preston Knowles hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Cardinals a 40-30 halftime lead.
Louisville outscored Syracuse, 17-7, to start the second half and took its largest lead of the game at 57-37 with 15:29 to play. Triche hit his second three-point field goal of the half, starting the Orange on a 9-2 scoring run that cut Louisville's advantage to 59-46 at the 12:41 mark. With SU trailing, 64-46, Triche again sparked the Orange offense with a three-pointer as Syracuse scored nine of the game's next 12 points to cut the lead to 67-58 with 6:55 to play.
After a Cardinals' basket, junior Kris Joseph and Jardine hit back-to-back three-pointers and Triche converted a layup to bring the Orange to within three at 69-66 with 1:37 on the clock. UofL converted three consecutive foul shots to take a 72-66 advantage with 13 seconds remaining. Jardine hit a three-pointer with 6.5 seconds remaining to cut the lead to 72-69, but that was close as Syracuse could get.
Triche was 7-for-13 from the field and tied his season high with four three-point field goals. Jardine finished with 20 points, while Fair came off the bench to contribute 11.
SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia enters Monday's meeting at the Carrier Dome with an overall record of 16-8 and a mark of 7-5 in BIG EAST games. The Mountaineers lead the BIG EAST in three-point field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to a percentage of .276. In its last game, the team took on DePaul at home, recording an 82-71 victory
Senior Casey Mitchell leads the Mountaineers in scoring, averaging 15.0 points per game. Juniors Kevin Jones and Daryl “Truck” Bryant also are in double figures in scoring, averaging 13.0 and 10.6 points per game, respectively. Senior John Flowers leads the BIG EAST in blocked shots with 2.5 blocked shots per game.
Head coach Bob Huggins is in his fourth season at his alma mater, his 29th season overall. He has an overall record of 686-249 (.734). Huggins ranks fourth among active Division I coaches in victories. Prior to West Virginia, he served as the head coach at Kansas State for one season and Cincinnati for 16 seasons.
THE SERIES
Syracuse leads the all-time series against West Virginia, 32-16. Last year, sophomore Brandon Trich scored 16 points to lead the Orange to a 72-71 victory. Since 2000, Syracuse has dominated the series, winning 13 of 15 games. In addition, the Orange has not lost to the Mountaineers at the Carrier Dome since 1996, winning eight consecutive games at home against West Virginia.
