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Syracuse University
Rutgers University
SU Outlasts Rutgers In Overtime Thriller
2/19/2011 4:32:18 PM | Men's Basketball
Syracuse 84, Rutgers 80 l Coach Boeheim Quotes l Player Quotes l Photo Gallery
SYRACUSE, N.Y. –17/20 Syracuse (22-6, 9-6) outscored Rutgers (13-13, 4-10) 14-10 in overtime to give the Orange an 84-80 victory against the Scarlet Knights on Saturday at the Carrier Dome.
Head coach Jim Boeheim has led the Orange to wins in 21 of SU's last 24 overtime games. Syracuse is 37-20 overall and 19-3 at the Carrier Dome in overtime under Boeheim's guidance.
Syracuse was led by four players in double figures, including a game-high 21 points from junior Kris Joseph. Senior Rick Jackson posted his 17th double-double of the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Jackson also recorded a career-high tying seven blocked shots. Freshman #C.J. Fair netted a career-high 17 points along with sophomore Brandon Triche#. Fair and Joseph also pulled down eight rebounds, while Triche grabbed six.
With 18 seconds remaining in regulation, Syracuse was awarded possession. Joseph drove baseline and dished the ball to Jackson who was fouled on the shot. Jackson went 1-2 and the game was tied 70-70. A last-second shot by Rutgers' James Beatty rimmed out and the game was forced into overtime.
Joesph sank a three-pointer from the top of the key, but RU's Jonathan Mitchell answered with his only three of the night to make it 75-74 Syracuse with 2:36 remaining in extra minutes. Syracuse led 77-75 with 1:30 on the clock. Joseph was fouled on a defensive rebound and was sent to the foul line where he converted both attempts to make it 79-75 with one minute to play.
Triche added two makes from the three-throw line to give SU an 83-75 advantage. Rutgers would not go away and five unanswered points made it 83-80 SU, but that is as close as the Scarlet Knights would get.
Rutgers took an early 7-2 lead, but two consecutive three-pointers by Triche gave Syracuse an 8-7 lead at the 16:28 mark. The Orange constructed a 13-2 run that produced a 22-14 advantage for SU. Jardine and Joseph sank back-to-back threes during that scoring run.
Syracuse led by as much as nine but the Scarlet Knights cut its lead to three with 7:27 left on the clock. Rutgers continued to claw its way back and took regained the lead 39-38 with two minutes remaining in the opening period.
Jardine gave Syracuse a 43-41 lead with 33 seconds on the clock. Rutgers got the last possession of the half and Mike Coburn's three-point attempt bounced in to give RU a 44-43 lead at the break.
Rutgers maintained a one point lead, 49-48, with 16 minutes remaining in the second half. Syracuse went without a field goal for three minutes but Fair completed a three-point play to tie the game at 51 with 13:35 on the game clock. A pair of free throws by Jackson put the Orange back on top, 53-51.
Joseph's shot from behind the arc increased SU's lead to seven, 62-55, with nine minutes to play. Seven unanswered points brought Rutgers within one, 64-63, with four minutes remaining in regulation. A three-pointer by RU's Mike Poole gave the lead back to the Scarlet Knights, 66-64, at the 2:30 mark.
Four consecutive points by Fair knotted the game at 68 with less than a minute remaining. Jackson went 1-2 from the charity stripe and SU led by one, 69-68, with 34 seconds on the clock. Rutgers regained the lead, 70-69, with pair of free throws Mike Coburn.
The Orange went 34-47 (.723) from the foul line, which marks the most free throws attempted by SU this season. Syracuse held a commanding advantage on the boards, 43-33, and scored 21 second chance points, compared to Rutgers' 16.
Rutgers, led by head coach Mike Rice, was paced by Coburn's 18 points and six assists.
Syracuse will hit the road for its final two away games of the regular-season, starting with Villanova on February 21 at 7 p.m. Syracuse fans can catch the Orange against the Wildcats on ESPN.
