Plenty more on this Big East clash at our Georgetown blog, Casual Hoya, and our Syracuse blog, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician.
Big Monday In The Big East: No. 7 Georgetown Travels To No. 4 Syracuse
Syracuse, NY (Sports Network) - Wes Johnson posted a solid all-around game with 14 points, nine rebounds, four blocks and three steals, as No. 4 Syracuse handed seventh-ranked Georgetown a 73-56 defeat at the Carrier Dome.
The Orange (20-1, 7-1 Big East) erased a 14-0 deficit to start the game by using a balanced attack and strong defense en route to their seventh straight win since losing to Pittsburgh on January 2nd.
Andy Rautins and Kris Joseph each scored 15 points, with the former adding six assists and six steals for the Orange, who made 53.3 percent from the floor. Scoop Jardine posted nine points and four assists in the victory.
Austin Freeman ended with a game-high 23 points, while Jason Clark scored 15 for the Hoyas (15-4, 6-3), who committed 19 turnovers in their second loss in four games. Greg Monroe scored eight points and fouled out with 6:27 remaining in the contest.
It was all Georgetown in the first three minutes of the game, as a trio of Freeman three-pointers highlighted the Hoyas’ quick 14-0 start that became an afterthought by halftime.
Syracuse withstood the early onslaught and got the crowd back into it by scoring eight straight points to pull within six.
Jardine’s layup following a Georgetown turnover cut the margin to 20-18 with 8 1/2 minutes left in the opening half, and a pair of Johnson free throws gave the hosts their first lead, 30-29, at the 2:18 mark.
The makes at the foul line were part of an 11-0 run that Syracuse used to take a 34-29 edge into the locker room.
After Freeman's dunk in transition got Georgetown within 37-33 two minutes into the second half, Rick Jackson scored six consecutive points on the inside -- his last bucket coming after three offensive rebounds -- to build a double- digit Orange lead.
Near the midway point, Johnson swatted two close looks from Freeman, and at the other end converted a layup despite taking a hard foul from Monroe. Johnson’s free throw with 10:08 to play resulted in a 55-40 cushion.
Clark made his fourth three-pointer of the game to make it 57-45 a few possessions later, and Arinze Onuaku answered with a slam before both teams went nearly four minutes without scoring.
That stretch ended with a Johnson throw-down at the 4:47 mark, and the Orange cruised to the finish line from there.
Syracuse, which improved to 13-1 at home this season, leads the all-time series with Georgetown, 45-37. The programs split last year’s home-and-home set...Syracuse had 15 turnovers but made 21-of-28 from the foul line, compared to a 6-for-11 effort at the stripe from Georgetown...Chris Wright ended with seven points on 3-of-10 shooting for the Hoyas.
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