View/Buy Photos | Syracuse 79, Long Beach State 55
Coach Boeheim Postgame Quotes | Student-Athlete Postgame Quotes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – #13/16 Syracuse (9-0) remained undefeated after posting a 79-55 win against Long Beach State this afternoon in the Carrier Dome. SU coach Jim Boeheim recorded his 780th collegiate victory to tie Lute Olson for ninth place among Division I head coaches.
Junior center Arinze Onuaku. who extended his streak of made field goals to 17 with a 7-for-7 performance, led the Orange with 17 points. Junior guards Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins had 13 points apiece and sophomore forward Rick Jackson tallied 11 points.
Clinging to a 37-30 margin at the half, the Orange started the second period off with an 18-4 run which lasted almost seven minutes. Onuaku and Devendorf combined for 12 of the points in the stretch, giving SU a 55-34 lead. The 49ers responded with five straight points but SU regrouped and posted a 17-3 run to move 30 points ahead. Rautins had consecutive three-pointers at the end of teh five-minute assault.
The Orange shot 13-of-24 (.542) from the field in the second half from the field and made 14-of-20 (.700) from the line. SU held Long Beach to only 25.6 percent (10-of-39) in the second period.
Syracuse made feeding Onuaku the ball a priority from the start and the postman responded with the club's first two baskets. Long Beach State proved to be a pesky foe early and stayed within seven points for the first 15 minutes of the contest. An Onuaku dunk followed by Jackson's layup pushed the Syracuse margin to nine, 29-20. Stephan Gilling twice brought the 49ers back within four with three-point baskets. A layup by Larry Anderson with 1:15 left in the opening period narrowed the margin to 33-30 but the Orange answered with the final four points of the half on a basket and two frew throws from Devendorf.
SU outrebounded the 49ers, 50-37. Jackson led the team with nine with seven on the defensive end, while both junior Paul Harris and Onuaku had six rebounds each. The Orange held LBSU to 31.5 percent shooting (23-of-73) from the field and a 13.9 mark (5-of-36) from the three-point line.
Leading the 49ers in scoring was T.J. Robinson and Gilling with 12 points each. Robinson was 5-of-12 from the field and all of Gilling's points came from four three-pointers. Anderson led LBSU with six assists and six rebounds.
Syracuse hits the court again on Monday, December 15 for a 7 p.m. game against Cleveland State. Tickets can be purchased online at SUathletics.com, by phone at 1-800-DomeTix or in person at the Carrier Dome box office during regular business hours.