Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim leads the Orange into the BIG EAST Conference seminfinals against Connecticut on Friday night.
BIG EAST Giants Syracuse And Connecticut Meet Again
3/11/2011 12:21:35 AM | Men's Basketball
| GAME #33 | ||
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vs. |  |
| Game Info | Friday, March 11 | 7 p.m. | Game Notes | |
| Location | New York, N.Y. | Madison Square Garden | |
| Game Day | ||
| TV/Radio |
ESPN | TK99 | espn3.com |
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NEW YORK – No. 11/11 Syracuse will face 21/19 Connecticut in the semifinals of the 2011 BIG EAST Tournament on Friday, March 11 at 7 p.m. at Madison Square Garden. The Orange advanced to the next round with a 79-73 victory against St. John's in the quarterfinal.
Connecticut knocked off top-seeded Pittsburgh, 76-74, in the first quarterfinal matchup to earn a spot in the semifinals. The No. 9 seed Huskies have won three games in as many days in the tournament and are 24-9 overall. Syracuse is 26-6 this season after winning its first game of the postseason.
Fans 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.
ORANGE IN THE BIG EAST TOURNAMENT
Syracuse will play its 73rd game in the BIG EAST Tournament when it takes the court on Friday. The Orange has an all-time record of 46-26 in the conference championship. Its 63.9 winning percentage ranks second all-time behind Georgetown's 66.2.
The Orange has won five BIG EAST Tournament titles, including 1981, 1988, 1992, 2005 and 2006, which is the third most on the conference.
BIG EAST HONORS
Senior Rick Jackson earned the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year award in a vote by the league's head coaches. Jackson led the BIG EAST in rebounding average (9.9) and blocked shot average (2.83). Jackson is only the second player in school history to earn the recognition, joining two-time recipient Etan Thomas.
Jackson was one two Syracuse players to earn All-BIG EAST honors. He was a second-team selection, while junior Kris Joseph earned third-team accolades. In addition, junior Scoop Jardine was an honorable mention pick.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ORANGE
Syracuse overcame a 37-32 halftime deficit to defeat St. John's, 79-73, in Thursday's quarterfinal round. Sophomore Brandon Triche scored a season high 22 points to lead the Orange. He went a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line and set a program record with 37 consecutive free throws, dating back to Feb. 9 against Georgetown.
With 2:25 remaining in regulation, the game was knotted for the fifth time in the second half, 68-68. Fab Melo and Kris Joseph combined for five consecutive points to increase SU's lead to 75-70 with 27 seconds on the clock.
Triche took the reins down the stretch, recording four free throws and a steal in the next 15 seconds to help SU match its largest lead of the game, 79-70, with 13 seconds left.
The Orange held a 7-5 lead at the 15:41 mark. Syracuse's freshman provided a spark off the bench with Melo and Dion Waiters combining for five consecutive points to put 'Cuse up 12-5 with 14:25 remaining in the first half. The rookies started a 9-0 run for SU, which was capped off by two points from Jackson.
A three-pointer for the Red Storm at the 8:55 mark tied the game, 20-20. St. John's took its first lead of the game, 22-20 with 7:47 to play in the opening period. By the 5:02 mark, the Red Storm had increased its lead to four, 26-22.
Syracuse's next five points came from the charity stripe and the Orange trailed by one, 28-27, with three minutes on the clock. A three-point play by St. John's with 28 seconds remaining sent the Red Storm to the locker room with a 37-32 lead.
SU opened the second half with a 9-1 run compliments of five points from junior Scoop Jardine and the Orange regained its lead 41-38 at the 17:30 mark. Triche exploded for five straight points to make it 50-45 Syracuse with 14:48 to play.
St. John's responded with six unanswered points to pull within one, 52-51 at the 12:11 mark. St. John's took a brief 58-57 lead, but Jardine stole the lead right back with a jumper on the ensuing play. SU held a 59-58 advantage with 8:22 to play.
Jackson finished with an impressive stat line that featured 10 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four blocks and three steals. Melo surpassed his career high set during SU's last regular-season matchup with DePaul, netting 12 points to go along with four rebounds. Joseph and Jardine rounded out Syracuse's double-digit scorers with 14 and 10 points, respectively.
SYRACUSE AND CONNECTICUT ROUND TWO
Syracuse and Connecticut will meet for the second time this season on Friday. The Orange defeated the Huskies, 66-58, on its home court on February 2.
Senior Rick Jackson recorded his 15th double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds, while sophomore Brandon Triche scored a team-best 16 points.
Syracuse's Jim Boeheim and Connecticut's Jim Calhoun, each a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, have a combined 1,700 wins during their careers. The pair set a record for most wins between two coaches in a Division I matchup earlier this season when the Orange and the Huskies met in Syracuse. Boeheim earned his 848th win against Connecticut and currently has 855 career victories.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
Connecticut is led by All-BIG EAST First Team selection Kemba Walker, who is averaging 23.4 points and 4.3 assists per game. Walker had 24 points, including the game-winning buzzer beater against Pittsburgh in the BIG EAST quarterfinals. Freshman Jeremy Lamb is UConn's only other player in double-figures with 10.2. Forward Alex Oriakhi leads the Huskies with 8.5 rebounds per outing and is also averaging 9.8 points.
Head coach Jim Calhoun is in his 24th season at the helm of the Connecticut program. He earned his 845th career win against Pittsburgh on Thursday, which ranks third among active Division I coaches. Calhoun has guided the Huskies to its 25th 20-win season, which is third among active Division I coaches.
THE SERIES
Friday's game will be the 86th meeting between Syracuse and Connecticut on the hardwood. Syracuse leads the all-time series against Connecticut, 51-34. The Orange has won the past three meetings, including a 66-58 victory on February 2. Since 1979, the two teams have played each other every season except the 2001-02 campaign.
The Orange and the Huskies have met 12 times in the BIG EAST Tournament. Syracuse holds a 7-5 advantage in the series.
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