Cuse Returns the Favor

Last season the Orange beat the Wildcats in the Carrier Dome and lost on the road at the Wachovia Center. This year, it was the mirror image. After suffering an 81-71 defeat at the hands of the Cats on January 19, SU took today’s game 87-73. And what a game it was!

Your typical Big East lead-changing game. I stopped watching the game to get takeout in the dining hall and SU was down eleven. When I came back to my room, the Cuse lead by six. In the second half, Nova cut it to one and then the Orange went on an 8-0 run. The game was somewhat close until Boeheim's boys took complete control near the end.

This game was crucial for the Orange. Already on the outside in terms of getting an NCAA bid, SU needs every conference win it can get. Even though Nova has struggled recently, the Cats are still a good team. And this win was a big one. Especially in the freakishly close Big East, where a team can be in third place one day and eighth the next. Syracuse improves to 6-4 in conference, while Nova falls to 3-6.

Scottie Reynolds, who poured in 25 points for Nova last time the teams met, was held scoreless in the first half.

Scoop Jardine returned to the lineup for the Orange after serving an "indefinite" suspension that turned out to last just two games. Sometimes when a player breaks the rules and is punished indefinitely, he comes back fairly quickly due to his team's serious lack of depth. Case in point. Scoop and teammate Rick Jackson played their first game in Orange in their hometown of Philadelphia, just 2 miles down the road from Neumann-Goretti High School.

Paul Harris, who admitted to not giving much effort in the January 19 loss to Nova, took over this afternoon. Kristof was a presence. Onuaku was a force. Donte' and Jonny owned. If Syracuse is going to contest with teams in the Big East, the team needs this much balance every game.

Mini Box Score:
- Paul Harris scored a career high 28 points on 9-12 shooting. He went 12-16 from the charity stripe.
- Jonny Flynn: 24 points
(the original boxscore said 30 and 22 for Harris and Flynn; thanks to "anonymous" for noting the changes.)
- Donte' Greene: 17 points
- Kristof Ongenaet: 12 points (including a 3!)
- The Orange shot nearly 63% from the field.

Since these two teams played in Syracuse, the Orange has won three in a row and Nova’s dropped four. For the Wildcats, it's the longest streak since losing five straight in 03-04.

FUN FACTS:

When the NBA three is painted on the floor, players like Donte' Greene start to think that they have something to prove. They start firing from way far out.

Something that’s really been bothering me lately is the announcers’ pronunciations of names. It’s part of their job to know how to say a last name. There are plenty of sources to ask. Ongenaet is one name that has found its way into the mishaps book.

Is there a reason why the Nova head coach Jay Wright was in a team jumpsuit on the sideline instead of a suit?

The announcers LOVE to talk about the Ongenaet’s $550 taxi ride from NYC to Syracuse when they flew in from Belgium to see their son play. It’s a tidbit that seems to find its way into every Cuse broadcast.

Home Court Disadvantage: The Wildcats have dropped two straight at the Wachovia Center, which is to Nova what Madison Square Garden is to the Orange-- a second home.