Syracuse, NY (Sports Network) - The Syracuse Orange look to end 2012 on a good
note as they host the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils in a non-
conference tilt at the Carrier Dome, a game in which head coach Jim Boeheim
can move into a second-place tie on the all-time wins list.
Howie Dickenman's Blue Devils lost for the third time in a row on Friday as
they came up short against Saint Peter's, 71-69. This will be the second visit
to a ranked foe this month for CCSU, as it suffered a 31-point loss to Indiana
in Bloomington on Dec. 9. The Blue Devils are adept on the offensive end with
an average of 73.9 points per game on 43.7 percent shooting from the field,
but they are weak defensively, allowing a generous 77.2 ppg.
The Orange recovered from their first loss of the season with a 57-36 rout of
Alcorn State on Friday to improve to 11-1. The win came after Jim Boeheim's
squad dropped an 83-79 decision to Temple at Madison Square Garden and moved
Boeheim (901) just one win behind Bobby Knight (902) for second-place on the
NCAA's all-time wins list. The Orange have notched notable victories over San
Diego State, Canisius, and Detroit already. Syracuse is a proven force that
carries impressive averages of 80.8 points, 43.8 rebounds, and 17.2 assists
per contest. Its opponents are not coming close with 58.1 points, 35.1 boards,
and 12.8 helpers per outing.
This will be the first meeting between these teams on the hardwood.
CCSU was tied 69-69 with the Peacocks until Saint Peter's Patrick Jackson
drained the go-ahead jumper with 11 seconds left to bury the Blue Devils.
Adonis Burbage paced CCSU with 25 points, Kyle Vinales scored 16, and Malcolm
McMillan contributed 11 to the losing effort. The Blue Devils were exposed as
a weak rebounding unit in the contest as SPC held a 51-32 edge on the boards
to overcome its 36.1 percent shooting from the floor. Vinales is leading the
team with 21.4 points and 3.5 assists per outing. Matt Hunter is also a
serviceable contributor with 19 points and a team-best 7.1 rebounds per game.
Syracuse overcame a second half deficit versus Alcorn State after it took a
32-16 lead into the intermission as it failed to score a field goal over the
first eight-plus minutes of the second half. C.J. Fair led a balanced Syracuse
scoring attack with 13 points, Trevor Cooney donated 12 points off the bench,
while DaJuan Coleman added eight points and six rebounds in the victory.
Senior forward James Southerland is netting a team-best 14 ppg thanks to his
27 makes from beyond the arc while Brandon Triche (13.9 ppg) and C.J. Fair
(12.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg) are doing their part from the forward slots. The team is
being guided by the top-notch play of sophomore Michael Carter-Williams, who
is averaging a double-double with 11.8 points and a Division I leading 9.9
assists per game.
The Sports Network