No. 1 Syracuse continues unbeaten streak

Six SU players scored in double-figures as the No. 1 Syracuse (16-0, 3-0) pulled away in the second half to defeat Providence (11-5, 0-3) by a score of 87-73 Wednesday night at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.  It was the seventh straight game the Orange won by a double-digit margin, also marking SU’s sixteenth straight victory and third straight against Big East opponents.

Brandon Triche led the Orange in scoring with 16 points, 11 of which came in the second half. Kris Joseph also had a solid game, tallying 13 points, while reserves C.J. Fair and Dion Waiters contributed with 12 and 13 points, respectively. Fab Melo (11 points) and Scoop Jardine (10 points) rounded out the balanced scoring effort.           

One of the key stats of the night came from Jardine, who helped the offense flow in more ways than one. The fifth-year senior guard not only had double-digit points, but Jardine also had 11 assists to give him a double-double for the night.

In the first half, the game was a little closer than the Orange would have liked, as Syracuse only led 36-34 at halftime. However, a 9-0 SU run capped off by two Triche 3-pointers allowed the Orange to pull away from the Friars.

Throughout the entire season, SU coach Jim Boeheim boasted of his team’s incredible depth. In most games this year, the Orange proved this to be true, as their bench consistently performed better than the opposing team’s. Tonight was no exception as SU solidified itself as one of the deepest teams in college basketball this year. The Orange bench outscored the Friar’s by a margin of 35-1.

In the paint, the Orange was also dominant. Syracuse held a 43-28 point advantage in the paint.

The Friars were led by Gerard Coleman and Vincent Council, who scored 17 points a piece for Providence. LaDontae Henton also added 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome this Saturday Jan. 7 to play No. 20 Marquette. It will mark the first time the two teams have met since the Golden Eagles knocked the Orange out of the 2011 NCAA basketball tournament. The game is set to tip off at 4:00 p.m.