foimbert's Blog

Syracuse beats Tulane to extend unbeaten streak

A 19-0 run late in the first half helped the Orange to hand the Green Wave its second loss of the season.

Sophomore guard Dion Waiters, who scored 15 points off the bench on 6-of-12 shooting, led the Orange. Waiters also raked in two steals and added an assist. Senior forward Kris Joseph scored 13 points despite a poor shooting night from the floor (2-of-6). Joseph also dished out three assists. Sophomore center Fab Melo led the Orange in rebounds with seven.

Syracuse took command of the game midway through the first half, after regaining the lead with a layup from freshman guard Michael Carter-Williams that made the score 13-12 with 11:28 to go in the first half. The Orange did not relinquish the lead from that point on and went on a 19-0 run and finished the half with a 41-19 lead.

Tulane would go on to outscore the Orange 42-39 in the second half, but that was not enough to overcome the first half deficit. The Green Wave could not handle the Orange defense, as it shot 34 percent from the floor and 43.8 percent from beyond the arc. Tulane also shot 66.7 percent (20-of-30) from the free throw line. Junior forward Kendall Timmons who scored 16 points on 4-of-12 shooting led Tulane. 

The Orange, on the other hand, had a solid offensive performance, shooting 51 percent (26-of-51) from the field and 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from beyond the arc. Syracuse also shot 81.8 percent (18-of-22) from the free throw line. Syracuse distributed the ball effectively; recording 16 assists against Tulane, including three from both Brandon Triche and Joseph.

Syracuse solidified itself as one of the best home teams in the nation, as it improved its record at the Carrier Dome to 10-0 on the season.

Syracuse will begin conference play Wednesday, Dec. 28 at home against Seton Hall at 7 p.m.

Top-ranked Syracuse rolls past NC State

Waiters scores a career-high 22 points as the Orange remains unbeaten.

The No. 1 Syracuse men’s basketball team (11-0, 0-0 Big East) won its eleventh straight game to start the season after defeating the North Carolina State Wolfpack (6-4, 0-0 ACC) 88-72 Saturday at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C.

The Orange had five players score in double figures. Sophomore guard Dion Waiters led all Syracuse scorers with a career-high of 22 points off the bench, senior forward Kris Joseph scored 21, and senior guard Scoop Jardine scored 16.

The Wolfpack were led by senior guard C.J. Williams, who led all scorers with 25 points and also had three rebounds and two assists.

Syracuse’s offense was clicking Saturday night, as it shot 56.5 percent from the floor and 48 percent from beyond the arc. However, the Orange did not have an answer for the Wolfpack offense early in the game.

The Wolfpack jumped to a 12-4 lead within the first four minutes of the game and the Orange was forced to take a full timeout.

 Joseph converted a three-pointer on the ensuing possession, but NC State did not relinquish the lead until Joseph made another three-pointer with 6:28 to go in the half that gave Syracuse a one-point lead. 

The second half began with NC State down 47-33 and ready to make a come back. The Wolfpack started the second frame with a 9-1 run, forcing Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim to call a timeout with 17:44 to go. The Wolfpack eventually tied the game at 50, but were never able to regain the lead. Syracuse began to pull away within the last eleven minutes and went on to win.

Syracuse’s depth played a factor in the Orange’s first road game outside of the state of New York. Forty-six of the Orange's 88 points came from players who started the game on the bench.

The No. 1 team will play its next game at home Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. as it hosts Bucknell in the Carrier Dome.

Around the Big East

News and notes from around the Big East men's basketball conference.

The NCAA men’s basketball season has begun, and Big East teams have not disappointed. The conference currently has three undefeated teams, four one-loss teams and three two-loss teams rounding up the top 10 Big East teams. The conference also has three teams ranked in the top 10, as Syracuse, Louisville and Connecticut are ranked third, fourth and ninth, respectively, entering Friday.

Connecticut, the only Big East team with a loss ranked in the top ten, lost to Central Florida, 68-63, on Nov. 25 after leading by as much as 17 points in the game. The defending national champions, however, bounced back by defeating then-No. 22 Florida State 78-76 in overtime and again against Arkansas, winning 75-62.

Louisville has gotten off to a good start this year, as the Cardinals have won four of the eight games they’ve played by 20 points or more. The Cardinals did face a scare against then-No. 19 Vanderbilt, but won 62-60 in overtime. Louisville has been led by junior point guard Peyton Siva, who leads the team in assists with 6.0 per game.

Syracuse is currently 9-0 despite the ongoing investigation regarding former associate head coach Bernie Fine. Fine was fired in late Nov. after sexual assault allegations. SU leads the nation in steals with 112. 

The bottom six of the Big East currently consists of Villanova, DePaul, Notre Dame, St. John’s, Rutgers and South Florida. Only Rutgers and St. John’s do not have a winning record in the Big East (4-5 each).

Fine: These allegations are patently false in every aspect

Associate coach Bernie Fine released a statement through his attorney Friday refuting the child molestation claims against him.

Associate coach for the Syracuse University men’s basketball team, Bernie Fine, released a statement Friday denying all child molestation accusations against him. 

The statement was released through Fine’s attorney and comes one day after ESPN's Outside The Lines reported he was under police investigation for allegedly molesting two former Syracuse ball boys, Bobby Davis, now 39, and Mike Lang, now 45. 

“These allegations are patently false in every aspect,” Fine said through his attorney.

The accusations come in the midst of the Penn State scandal about long-time defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. The scandal inspired the second man to come forward to OTL

Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor said “this is clearly distressing to all of us in the Syracuse University community” in an email sent to university students and alumni Friday morning.

“[Fine] has vehemently denied the allegations and should be accorded a fair opportunity to defend himself against these accusations,” Cantor said in the email.

In 2005, SU conducted an internal investigation regarding the same child molestation allegations against Fine. The investigation led nowhere, though, because the charges could not be corroborated.

Cantor also said that the university’s reputation as a “big-time sports” school will not hinder the investigation of these charges.

“We know that many question whether or not a university in today’s world can shine a harsh light on its athletics programs,” Cantor said. “We are aware that many wonder if university administrations are willing to turn a blind eye to wrongdoing that may disrupt a successful sports program. I can assure you I am not, and my fellow administrators are not. We hold everyone in our community to high standards and we don’t tolerate illegal, abusive or unethical behavior —no matter who you are.”

The university placed Fine, who is now in his 35th consecutive season with the team, on administrative leave amidst the investigation.

For breaking news, follow NewsHouseSports on Twitter. 

Women's soccer team loses to Georgetown in Big East Tournament

The Syracuse University women's soccer team's season came to an end Sunday with a 3-1 loss to the Georgetown Hoyas.

The Syracuse University women’s soccer team (7-8-3, 6-5-0 Big East) lost to the Georgetown University Hoyas (15-5-0, 8-3-0 Big East) 3-1 in the Big East tournament quarterfinals Sunday at Washington, D.C. The loss marked the end of SU's season.

The first half began with the Hoyas striking early, as freshman midfielder Daphne Corboz netted her 10th goal of the season at the 0:52 mark. Georgetown also struck again at the 18:20 mark, after Camille Trujillo netted her 12th of the season. The goal gave the Hoyas a 2-0 lead that they would take to halftime.

The Georgetown offense clicked in the first half while the Orange offense was stagnant. Syracuse only recorded three shots in the first half while Georgetown recorded seven.

The second half saw the Orange play much more offensively with Syracuse recording six shots in the half. One shot included Syracuse’s only goal of the game scored by defender Rachel Blum in the 75th minute. Blum’s goal, however, was too little too late.

The Hoyas added to their lead at the 50:18 mark, after Ingrid Wells netted her 9th goal of the season giving the them a 3-0 lead and putting the game out of reach for the Orange.

Frustration by the Orange stirred up the second half, as three yellow cards were handed out. Cecilia Borgstrom received one and Tina Romagnuolo received two.

With a 7-8-3 record, the Orange finished the season with its best Big East record under Wheddon. This season, which saw the Orange post seven wins for the first time since 2007, earned them a spot in the Big East tournament for the first time in four years. With all but two players coming back next year, the Orange should be poised for another successful season under coach Phil Wheddon

 

 

Women's Soccer closes regular season with loss

The Syracuse women's soccer team falls to St. John's in the regular season finale, 2-0. The team now sets its eyes on Georgetown in the Big East Tournament.

The Syracuse University women’s soccer team (7-7-3, 6-5-0 Big East) dropped its second straight game Friday after losing to the St. John’s University Red Storm (9-8-1, 5-6-0 Big East) 2-0 at Belson Stadium in Jamaica, N.Y.

The game started off with St. Johns forward Jen Leaverton scoring just after the nine-minute mark. Leaverton’s goal was the only one scored in the first half, despite the Orange outshooting St. John’s 7-2. SU also had a corner in the first 45 minutes. 

The second half started off the same way the first half did, as Leaverton netted her second goal of the game at the 47:05 mark, giving the Red Storm a two-goal lead.

Despite the two straight losses to close out the season, the Orange will head into the Big East Tournament with a first-round bye.

The Orange will play the Georgetown Hoyas (14-5-0, 8-3-0 Big East) in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament Sunday at 1 p.m. in Washington D.C. The Hoyas bested the Orange Sept. 23 at the SU Soccer Stadium, 3-1. 

(Image courtesy of Stock XCHNG)

Women's soccer falls to Marquette

The Syracuse University women's soccer team could not follow up on its stunning double overtime victory from two days earlier, losing 4-0 to Marquette.

The Syracuse University women’s soccer team (7-6-3, 6-4 Big East) lost 4-0 to No. 7 Marquette (16-2, 9-1 Big East) Sunday at the SU Soccer Stadium.

Sunday’s loss marked the fourth time the Orange has been shutout and the fifth time it has given up multiple goals in a game this season. Despite the loss the Orange still clinched a bye to the quaterfinals of the Big East Tournament by ensuring a third place finish in the American Division, the team's highest finish since the conference realigned in 2006.

The first half was filled with the type of physical play that Syracuse has shown all season, as the Orange fouled Marquette seven times. Syracuse’s defense also kept Marquette’s forwards from maintaining any type of rhythm, as the teams were tied 0-0 at halftime.

The first half also saw Syracuse defender Megan Hunsberger leave the game with a knee injury in the 37th minute. Syracuse head coach Phil Wheddon said Hunsberger’s status for next Friday's season finale against St. John's is uncertain.

The second half, however, started off with Marquette forward Maegan Kelly netting her 13th and 14th goals of the season within the first ten minutes. Midfielder Ally Miller tallied her first of the season at the 59:29 mark after heading the ball off a corner kick, making it 3-0 with 30 minutes to play. The final goal came courtesy of midfielder Britney Scott at the 76:53 mark.

Wheddon said Sunday’s defensive problems were something his team has been working on.

“I don’t think we did a good job of marking in the box,” Wheddon said. “There was a focus in the first half in particular and that has been our focus this week, marking in the box. We didn’t do a good job of that.”

Wheddon also said his team used up much of its energy in Friday’s game against South Florida when the Orange defeated the Bulls 1-0 in double overtime. 

“It’s a team thing, it’s not individual and we just have to be more disciplined,” Wheddon said.

Sunday’s game was also the last home game for seniors Casey Ramirez and Carly Lenger. Both players were honored before the game for their contributions to the program.

“It’s bittersweet,” Lenger said. "You never want to end on a low note like we did today, but we got the Big East Tournament to look forward to.”

Ramirez said playing her last home game was sad, but that she was excited to play in the Big East Tournament.

“It has been my most successful year so far,” Ramirez said. “Getting into the Big East Tournament is something we haven’t done in the last three years. It’s sad, but at the same time exciting.”

SU has to win Friday against St. John’s to clinch a one-week bye in the Big East Tournament.

“We need to be prepared take care of business on Friday against St. John’s because that will guarantee us third place,” Wheddon said. “It will be a hard week of training to make sure we’re ready for what St. John’s presents." 

The Orange looks to regroup and clinch a one-week bye in the Big East Tournament Friday when it travels to Jamaica, N.Y. to play the Red Storm. 

 

(Image courtesy of Stock.XCHNG)

Last second goal propels women's soccer to win

Cecilia Borgstrom strikes with 1.9 seconds left to give SU the victory over USF, 1-0.

The Syracuse University women’s soccer team (7-5-3, 6-3-0 Big East) defeated the University of South Florida Bulls (5-7-4, 1-5-3 Big East) in a double-overtime gem on a rainy night in Syracuse, N.Y., 1-0. 

Sophomore defender Cecilia Borgstrom scored the game’s only goal at the 109:59 mark, after she struck the ball from the top corner of the box.

“I’m so relieved because we played so hard and we deserve that,” Borgstrom said after the game.

The goal was Borgstrom’s third of the season. It was also her third shot of the game, tying her with junior midfielder Tina Romagnuolo for the Orange’s game-high in shots.

Borgstrom’s goal came with 1.9 seconds left in the game, a sight even Syracuse head coach Phil Wheddon said is very rare. 

“I’ve only seen such a thing once, and it was in the World Cup,” Wheddon said.

Wheddon said he thought his team had a couple of scoring chances before Borgstrom netted the game winner, but that shouldn’t take from the result. 

“It was a great finish under a lot of pressure,” Wheddon said.

The Orange’s offense came back to life after West Virginia shut them down last week by outshooting USF 15-10, seven on those on goal, in the game.

The Orange defense returned to top form after giving up a season-high five goals against the Mountaineers last week after a second Big East-leading seventh clean sheet of the season. The Orange also succeeded in keeping the Bulls offense out of rhythm, forcing South Florida to commit six offsides in the game.

Syracuse’s win against South Florida is both historical and important. It puts SU only one win shy of tying the program’s all-time record for most conference wins in a season. The win also clinches a spot in the Big East tournament and, if the Orange finishes in the top three of its division, it clinches a first round bye in the tournament. 

“The first round bye is huge because you have an extra day of rest,” Wheddon said, “our season has been long and it has been very physical.”

The win also brings Syracuse to 5-2 in games decided by one goal, a result of the Orange’s perseverance throughout the season.

“As a team, we’ve been far more disciplined this year than we have been in previous years,” Wheddon said. “We pretty much have the same group of players we had last year, but this year we’re closer, we’re more organized, we pay more attention to detail and that’s really showing in our results.” 

The seven wins are also the highest number of wins the Orange has had under Wheddon.

The Orange committed 11 fouls Friday, bringing its tally 175 on the season, a Big East-high, but Wheddon said he is not too concerned about the fouls.

“Fouls come down to the referee’s decision,” Wheddon said, “and we have different referees every week so one foul one week isn’t a foul the next.”

SU returns to the pitch Sunday at 1 p.m. as they host the Marquette Golden Eagles (15-2-0, 8-0-0) at SU Soccer Stadium.

 

(Image courtesy of Stock.XCHNG)

WVU snaps winning streak for women's soccer squad

Syracuse loses on the road against West Virginia, ending a four-game winning streak and placing them six points out of first in the division.

The Syracuse University women’s soccer team (6-5-3, 5-3 Big East) lost Sunday to the No. 22 West Virginia Mountaineers (11-4-0, 7-1-0 Big East) in Morgantown, W.V., 5-1. The loss snapped SU’s four-game winning streak, its longest of the season.

The offense, which scored multiple goals in three of its last four games, scored only once Sunday, a goal by forward Jenna Rickan in the 89th minute. Syracuse’s offense was only able to record six shots (four on goal) for the game.

After shutting down opposing offenses all season in Big East play, the defense gave up a season-high five goals Sunday. The squad allowed 18 shots, 11 of them on goal.

The Mountaineers struck first with a free-kick goal by Blake Miller in the 29th minute. WVU netted its second goal of the game courtesy of Morgan Betscher to take a 2-0 lead at halftime.

The second half saw even more domination by West Virginia. Meghan Lewis netted the third goal of the game in the 47th minute, followed by two more Mountaineer goals in minutes 56 and 62. 

The Orange collapsed even further after West Virginia netted its fifth goal by receiving three yellow cards. Syracuse defender Kayla Afonso received a yellow card in the 67th minute that led to a West Virginia penalty kick. Amanda Hamilton and Tina Romagnuolo also earned yellow cards in the 75th minute.

Syracuse committed 14 fouls total against West Virginia.

The loss leaves SU in third place in the American Big East division behind Marquette and West Virginia. The Orange trails both teams by six points with only three games left to play this season. 

The Orange returns home to face the University of South Florida Friday at 7 p.m.

 

Women's soccer rolls over Pittsburgh

Syracuse women's soccer continues to roll in conference play, defeating Pittsburgh, 3-0.

 

The Syracuse University Women’s soccer team (6-4-3, 5-2 Big East) extended its longest winning streak of the season to four on Friday after defeating the Pittsburgh Panthers (1-10-4, 0-5-2 Big East) in Pittsburgh, P.A.

The victory keeps the Orange only one game back of Marquette (13-2, 6-1) and West Virginia (10-4, 6-1) for first place in the American Division of the Big East Conference standings. SU has yet to play either team this season.  

Junior midfielder Rosina Callisto gave the Orange a 1-0 lead after netting her first goal of the season from 25 yards out. The Orange struck again in the 39th minute when junior midfielder Tina Romagnuolo netted her fourth goal of the season. SU shot the ball on goal three times (four total) as the Panthers only had one shot on goal (four total) in the first half. 

The second half saw more Orange dominance as sophomore forward Brittany Kinmond netted her second goal of the season from the right corner of the box. 

The Syracuse defense continued to excel as the Orange recorded its sixth clean sheet of the season. The shutout also kept SU’s Big East-leading goals allowed total at 11. 

The offensive insurgence continued Friday as the Orange scored multiple goals for the third straight game after scoring one goal or less in each of the four games prior. The squad also racked up nine shots (six on goal) against Pittsburgh.

The Orange did, however, committed nine fouls Friday, making the team second in the Big East in that category. 

Syracuse will try to continue its four-game winning streak Sunday when it takes on West Virginia in Morgantown, W.V. A win and a Marquette loss to Connecticut would make a three-way tie at the top of the conference.