Syracuse Stomped By Mountaineers

Junior center Arinze Onuaku tallied a team-best 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds, but the Orange couldn’t overcome a late first-half Mountaineer scoring run in an 81-61 defeat at BIG EAST foe West Virginia on Sunday. Freshman forward Donte Greene collected his fifth-career double-double and second in as many outings with 10 points and 10 rebounds, including a career-high nine on the defensive end. Syracuse jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening minutes behind some flash from Greene and Onuaku. Onuakus steal from West Virginias Jamie Smalligan induced a 2-on-1 odd-man break for the Orange. Onuaku flushed a thunderous two-hand dunk off a flashy behind-the-back feed from Greene. Greene led Syracuse with a career and team-best five assists. The Orange twice extended its lead to three points following a foul-line jump-shot from sophomore Paul Harris and a putback lay-in off an offensive carom from Onuaku. West Virginia took command of the game in the first half with several baskets in the waning seconds of the shot clock. Senior guard Darris Nichols twice drained long jump-shots, including one from three-point range, before the horn sounded. West Virginia closed out the first frame on a 13-2 run en route to a 35-20 halftime advantage, the largest deficit facing the Orange at the intermission this season. SU scored just two field goals, a tough left-hand and-one lay-in from freshman guard Jonny Flynn and a strong power move into the lane from freshman center Rick Jackson, in the final 5:32. The Mountaineers pushed its advantage to 22 points at 45-23 less than four minutes into the second half before Onuaku charged a personal 10-2 run, drawing the Orange within 16 points at the 12:59 mark. A feathery left-hand jump-hook from the 6-9 center ignited the spurt. In three successive offensive possessions, Onuaku deposited a two-hand flush, converted a putback lay-in off an offensive rebound and dropped in another hoop with a left-hand power move. The Orange pulled within 15 points at the 11:44 mark following a three-point basket from Flynn. However, the Mountaineers responded with a 12-4 run over the next four minutes and change, securing a 23-point edge at 65-42. While Syracuse connected on just 3-of-13 three-point tries, the visitors posted four scorers in double figures. Harris totaled 12 points and corralled eight rebounds and Flynn collected 11 points and gathered two rebounds. The Orange claimed the rebound battle, collecting 36 versus West Vrrginias 33. The Mountaineers snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Orange behind junior guard Alex Ruoffs game-high 23 points, including a career-best seven three-point field goals. Nichols posted 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting overall. Syracuses 61 points scored is a season-low. Despite coaching a combined 1,846 career games, Sundays contest marked the first meeting on opposite sidelines between Boeheim and first-year WVU head coach Bob Huggins. Syracuse (12-5, 2-2) returns to the friendly confines of the Carrier Dome on Wednesday, January 16 against BIG EAST foe Rutgers at 7:00 p.m.