No. 2 Syracuse Hosts UConn, Hopes Multiple Overtimes Aren’t Required

Syracuse, NY (Sports Network) - Wes Johnson hit the go-ahead free throws with 33.5 seconds left in regulation, as No. 2 Syracuse held off a late Connecticut rally to upend the Huskies, 72-67, in an exciting Big East tussle.

Johnson ended with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Rick Jackson and Kris Joseph chipped in 15 and 14 points, respectively, for the Orange (24-1, 11-1 Big East), who have rattled off 11 straight wins since their lone loss to Pittsburgh on January 2nd. Jerome Dyson scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds but missed a potential go-ahead three-pointer down the stretch to send the Huskies (14-10, 4-7) to their fourth loss in five games.

Stanley Robinson posted 16 points and seven boards, while Kemba Walker scored 14 points in the setback.

The last time these programs met was in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament last year, when Syracuse outlasted Connecticut in a memorable 127-117 victory after six thrilling overtime sessions.

Only 40 minutes were needed Wednesday, but the excitement in the Carrier Dome matched that of Madison Square Garden a year ago, as their beloved Orange opened up a 50-34 lead following a Jackson jumper with under 14 minutes remaining in regulation.

UConn fought back though, scoring 14 of the next 16 points to pull within 52-48 on Dyson’s bucket off an offensive rebound with 8 1/2 minutes to play. It was nip-and-tuck from that point on.

Johnson’s dunk from the baseline yielded a 65-62 Syracuse edge with 3 1/2 minutes showing, but the Huskies controlled a loose ball after a miss from Dyson, who got the ball back and canned a tying three-pointer from the left wing.

After a Johnson miss, UConn had several opportunities to take the lead but couldn’t get the ball to go down. Following Dyson’s out-of-control drive in the lane, Syracuse called timeout with 46 seconds left.

Immediately out of the break, Andy Rautins missed a quick three from the right corner, though Jackson corralled the rebound. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim then called timeout before Scoop Jardine drove the lane and missed a layup in traffic, and Johnson was fouled on the ensuing inbounds pass, hitting both freebies with 33.5 seconds left.

“I saw Scoop with the ball [and] I wondered where he was going, but he didn’t know where he was going. That’s why I called timeout,” Boeheim said.

At the other end, Dyson missed a deep three from roughly the same spot he hit from to tie it, and the Orange made enough free throws the rest of the way to seal another memorable win.

“We were very fortunate to win because they made a great comeback,” Boeheim added.

Arinze Onuaku broke a 13-all tie for Syracuse at the 11:20 mark of the first half with a three-point play, which ignited a 15-6 run over the next 4 1/2 minutes, as Brandon Triche’s three-ball resulted in a 28-19 lead for the hosts.

Syracuse continued to play front-runner and led 37-30 at the break. The Orange appeared to take full control when they scored 13 of the first 17 points of the second half, but the Huskies did not go that easily.

The Huskies are winless in all six true road contests this season...Rautins ended with eight points and five assists, while Triche had eight and four for the Orange, who made just 3-of-13 from behind the arc but made 23-of-28 from the foul line...Gavin Edwards chipped in 12 points for Connecticut, which made 38.8 percent from the floor and 11-of-17 from the stripe...Syracuse had 20 turnovers, compared to 17 for UConn.