3/4 Syracuse Outlasts West Virginia, 63-61

Saturday, January 28

Syracuse, NY

1:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

West Virginia

Triche had a team-high 18 points against West Virginia

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

1/28/2012 1:57:32 PM | Men's Basketball

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 3/4 Syracuse (22-1, 9-1) outlasted rv/rv West Virginia (15-7, 5-4), 63-61, in front of the largest college basketball crowd of the season at the Carrier Dome. The BIG EAST Conference contest attracted 28,740.

It came down to the final possession of the game with Syracuse clinging to a 63-61 lead with 28 second remaining. After an SU defensive stop, the Mountaineers retrieved the offensive loose ball and had one more opportunity to win the game with six seconds left. A corner three from Kevin Jones fell short and Syracuse improved to 15-0 at the Carrier Dome this season.

Brandon Triche led the Orange with 18 points, while Kris Joseph had 13 points, including two important baskets down the stretch. The Orange forced 17 WVU turnovers and had only had six on their end. The Mountaineers outrebounded the Syracuse, 41-20.

With the Orange trailing 13-7 in the first half, Dion Waiters ignited the SU offense with a drive down the lane and a slam dunk, which sparked a 7-2 run to bring Syracuse to within one at 15-14 with 11:42 remaining.

Kevin Jones then helped the Mountaineers capture its largest lead of the game by scoring five of the next seven WVU points as West Virginia led 22-16 at the under eight-minute timeout. Jones, the BIG EAST Conference's leading scorer, finished with a game-high 20 points and eight rebounds.

From that point on, the Orange defense held West Virginia to one field goal and just two points in the final eight minutes of the half. A layup by Joseph at 1:11 gave Syracuse its first lead (25-24) since it was 7-6. Scoop Jardine then hit SU's second three of the half as the clock hit zero for a four-point halftime advantage, 28-24.

Syracuse would hold the lead out of the break until Truck Bryant, who did not score in the first half, tallied 10 quick points to tie the game at 41. However, two offensive rebounds and put-backs by Baye Keita and Joseph stretched SU's lead back to four with 11:56 remaining.

Jones then gave West Virginia its first lead of the second half with a reverse layup, making it 47-46. The lead wouldn't last long as Triche hit from downtown to put Syracuse back up 50-49 with 8:03 remaining.

Triche then took it coast-to-coast to put SU up 52-49, but a Gary Browne banked three pointer tied it for the third time in the half. The two teams would continue to trade scores, and the game was tied 56-56 at the final media timeout of the game.

Joseph then tallied the next five points for the Orange, but a Jones' three-pointer once again tied the game up, this time at 61 apiece. Triche was then fouled going to the hoop with 1:28 remaining. He connected on both attempts, which proved to be the game-winning points.

Joseph grabbed a team-high seven rebounds to go along with his 13 points. Jardine contributed nine points and five assists. Waiters had eight points.

The Orange is back in action this Saturday as SU returns to Madison Square Garden for a noon contest with St. John's (ESPN). After the road contest, Syracuse has two games in the Carrier Dome against rivals Georgetown and Connecticut.

Notes: The contest with West Virginia was the 50th meeting between the two schools; Syracuse holds a 34-16 series advantage ... Jim Boeheim now has 878 career victories and is one win shy of tying Dean Smith for third all-time ... Syracuse, heading to Madison Square Garden this Saturday, is 2-0 at MSG this season, as the Orange defeated Virginia Tech and Stanford at the NIT Season Tipoff ... Syracuse has the most wins in the nation with 22.