BOX SCORE (.html)
BOX SCORE (.pdf)
NEWARK, N.J. Three Syracuse players recorded double-doubles, as the Orange defeated the Seton Hall men’s basketball team, 85-73. Trailing by 18 points in the second half, the Pirates made a late charge, but it was not enough. Seton Hall falls to 17-13 overall and 7-10 in the BIG EAST.
Senior Brian Laing (Bronx, N.Y.) scored 20 points and had six rebounds. Senior Jamar Nutter (Bloomfield, N.J.) had 15 points, and sophomore John Garcia (Brentwood, N.Y.) pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.
Jonny Flynn capped a 9-2 run with a dunk to put Syracuse (18-12, 8-9) on top 15-8 with 10:56 in the first half. A layup from sophomore Eugene Harvey (Brooklyn, N.Y.) pulled the Pirates within two, but back-to-back steals and lay-ins by Scoop Jardine gave the Orange a 26-17 edge with 7:36 until the half.
Laing’s only bucket of the first half was a three-pointer that cut the Seton Hall deficit to 34-29, but Syracuse closed the period with an 12-2 run to go ahead, 46-31.
Flynn gave the Orange its largest lead of the game, 53-35, with a trifecta early in the second half, when the Pirates methodically began to work their way back into the game.
Sophomore Larry Davis (Middle Village, N.Y.) connected from downtown to make it a nine-point game with 8:57 on the clock. Syracuse answered with eight quick points to give them a 72-55 cushion with 7:31 left, but Laing erased the Orange spurt on his own by scoring the next 11 points and Seton Hall was down 76-69 with 4:17 to go.
With the game still in doubt, Paul Harris scored six of his 14 points in the final 2:20 to seal the win for Syracuse.
Donte’ Green scored 19 points and grabbed 13 boards, Arinze Onuaku had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and Kristof Ongenaet finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds in just 23 minutes. Flynn had 16 points and eight assists.
The Orange held a 54-29 edge on the glass, but the Pirates forced 22 turnovers, leading to 27 points.
The Pirates will close the regular season against Rutgers at Prudential Center on Sunday, March 9. Prior to the 2:00 p.m. tip-off, Seton Hall will honor its seniors.
