Orange Goes for BIG EAST Title Tonight

Syracuse vs. Louisville
Game Details	Saturday, Mar. 16 \| New York, N.Y. \| 8:30 p.m.
Game Coverage	TV: ESPN Radio: Syracuse IMG Radio Network \| TK 99.5 FM Orange All Access: Audio \| Live Stats \| Tournament Central Twitter: @cuse
Syracuse Links	Notes \| News \| Roster \| Schedule
Louisville Links	Notes \| News \| Roster \| Schedule

NEW YORK – No. 19/20 Syracuse (26-8) goes for its sixth BIG EAST Tournament title when it takes on No. 4/4 Louisville (28-5) tonight. Game time is set for 8:30 p.m. in Madison Square Garden.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN. Fans can listen to the action on the Syracuse IMG Radio Network and its flagship TK99 (99.5FM). Live audio will be available on Orange All Access on SUathletics.com. Subscriptions to Orange All Access are available at daily, monthly and yearly rates.

ORANGE IN THE FINALS
Syracuse has played in the BIG EAST Tournament championship game 14 times and claimed five titles. The last time the Orange advanced to the finals was in 2009 where it also faced Louisville. The Cardinals came out on top, 76-66, in that contest. Syracuse won the tournament in 2005 and 2006, marking the first time SU won back-to-back titles in the history of the championship.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ORANGE
Syracuse outlasted Georgetown in a thrilling 58-55 overtime victory against Georgetown in the semifinals on Friday night.

The Orange led by two, 47-45 with less than four minutes remaining when junior Baye Moussa Keita gave SU a four-point advantage with a pair of free throws. The Hoyas tied the game at 49-49 before Moussa Keita again hit a pair of free throws to put Syracuse back up by two. Following a foul on junior C.J. Fair, Otto Porter went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe with seven seconds on the clock to send the game to overtime.

Senior Brandon Triche and Moussa Keita gave Syracuse a 55-51 lead with consecutive buckets early in the extra session. After Mikael Hopkins failed to convert a three-point play, Fair answered with his 1000th career point, driving in for a huge slam. Otto Porter tightened the score with two free throws at 57-55, but then fouled Triche, who made of his free throws to clinch a 58-55 decision for SU.

Triche, Moussa Keita and senior James Southerland led the Orange offense with 13 points each, while redshirt freshman Trevor Cooney added 10 points. With four three-pointers against the Hoyas, Southerland now has 16 in the BIG EAST Tournament, which ties the all-time record set by former Orange and current assistant coach Gerry McNamara in 2006.

SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
Louisville advanced to tonight's championship game with a 69-57 victory against Notre Dame in the semifinals. The Cardinals shared the BIG EAST regular-season title, posting a 14-4 mark in league play.

Russ Smith, a first-team All-BIG EAST selection, leads a balanced offensive attack for Louisville. He ranks second in the league in scoring, averaging 18.3 points per game. Three other players are averaging double figures in scoring, including Chane Behanan (10.1 ppg.), Gorgui Dieng (10.1 ppg.) and Peyton Siva (10.0 ppg.). Dieng, who also earned All-BIG EAST First Team honors, ranks second in the BIG EAST in rebounding (9.9 rpg.) and third in blocked shots (2.6 bpg.).

The Cardinals are led by Rick Pitino, who is in his 12th year at the helm of the program. Pitino is the only coach in NCAA history to take three different teams to the NCAA Final Four. In 27 seasons as a collegiate head coach at five different schools, Pitino has compiled a 657-239 record.

THE SERIES
Louisville leads the all-time series with Syracuse, 14-7. After a seven-game losing streak, the Orange has won three of the last four meetings between the squads. Syracuse defeated the Cardinals, 70-68, on Jan. 19 in Louisville. The teams met again on March 2 in the Carrier Dome where Louisville posted a 58-53 victory.

Syracuse University Athletics

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