Fourth-ranked Syracuse earned a double-bye into the quarterfinals
of the Big East tournament and remained on track for an even bigger
prize: A No. 1 seed in the NCAAs.
"We're just glad we're not on the bubble for the eighth year
in a row," coach Jim Boeheim said Tuesday night after the Orange
recovered from an eight-point deficit to beat feisty Providence
99-85. "I think we can still get better as we go through these last
two weeks of the regular season."
Rick Jackson scored 17 of his career-high 28 points in the
second half and Andy Rautins also scored 28, making all five
3-point attempts in the second half and 8 of 12 in all. Jackson
added nine rebounds and Arinze Onuaku had 12 points and nine boards
for the Orange (26-2, 13-2), who won't have to play the first two
days of the conference tournament.
The only question now is whether the Orange, who have been
seeded fourth as recently as 2004, can hold onto their lead in the
Big East, win the conference tournament and earn a No. 1 seed.
Seventh-ranked Villanova visits the Carrier Dome on Saturday; a
Syracuse victory combined with any Pittsburgh loss would give the
Orange at least a share of the regular-season title.
"I think we did a good job playing Providence, but I think
we've got to play better [against] Nova," Jackson said. "I think
guys are just looking forward to playing Nova, but we realized that
we had to come in here and handle business. We're going to go in
there pumped on Saturday, and it's just going to be an outright
fight."
The Friars (12-15, 4-11) took a 55-47 lead when Jamine
Peterson hit a 3-pointer to open the second half. But Syracuse
scored the next 14 points and, after Marshon Brooks made a basket
for Providence to cut the deficit to four points, the Orange scored
the next 12.
Brooks and Peterson both scored 23 for Providence, which has
lost seven straight since beating then-No. 19 Connecticut on Jan.
27. Five of the seven have been against teams that have been ranked
among the top 8 this season.
"I've been really proud of our team's effort during this
unbelievable stretch of games," Friars coach Keno Davis said. "They
exposed some weaknesses on our team, like I knew they would be able
to. We had to have a shooting night where we were knocking them
down, and we did -- for a half."
Syracuse lost at home to Louisville on Feb. 14, and recovered
by winning at then-No. 10 Georgetown on Thursday. Tuesday night's
victory, coupled with Louisville's 70-60 loss to the Hoyas, gave
the Orange the double-bye.
"We never think about that," Boeheim said. "College
basketball is just this really crazy game. Providence has lost
[six] games in a row, and they could have beaten us tonight. They
did beat Connecticut."
Syracuse led by 13 points after just 6 minutes and it was
34-25 when Providence scored 13 of the next 14 points to take the
lead. Rautins and McKenzie traded 3-pointers, and after a dunk by
Kris Joseph, the Friars scored six straight points to take a 47-40
lead with 3:41 left in the half.
They went up eight points before Rautins hit a 3-pointer just
before the buzzer to cut the deficit to 52-47 at halftime.
Providence shot 59 percent in the first half, including
10-of-19 from 3-point range. It was just the second time this
season Syracuse had trailed at the half, and its biggest halftime
deficit of the season.
But after Peterson's basket, it was all Syracuse.
Jackson scored on a putback to give the Orange the lead for
good, 57-55 with 15:11 left. Then Brandon Triche followed his steal
with a fast-break layup and Wesley Johnson did the same on the next
possession to give Syracuse a 61-55 lead, complete the 14-0 run and
force Providence to use a timeout.
Brooks made a basket after the break, but before the Friars
would score again Syracuse led 73-57.
Rautins, who set his season high with 26 points in the 75-71
win over Georgetown, missed his career high by one point.
